I wasn't quite sure what you were referring to with the exclusives issue but did a wee bit of digging and I think I understand. It appears that a dyer is offering a silk pack for a recent exclusive. I really don't have a problem with this. Alternatives are a good thing but I would bet that Hobby House is not going to be materially affected by a dyer offering a much cheaper silk pack. Stitchers are also going to buy less expensive fabric and choose to stitch with DMC instead of silk. I'll buy the pattern from HH, the fabric from my local stitch shop and the DMC from Michael's. It will cost me less than half of the $190.00 for the kit with soie d'alger. Or the alternative silk at $135.00 for it all. Choice is good.
HH does offer a DMC kit. However, Nicola is not saying that you can't buy your materials from other places. It's that the dyer is trying to profit off other people's time, money, and work that was prepared for this release
I appreciate when the chart is available separately. I am IMMENSELY appreciative when a chart is offered in PDF format (due to eye issues and being able to zoom). I cannot always justify buying a whole kit, as often the linen is not my preference. I also have a full set of thread, so buying more thread isn't easy to justify either. Being completely honest and straighforward- if the exclusives were to only be offered as full or partial kits, I would probably skip the purchase all together.
My understanding, and I could well be wrong, is that the chart is what's "exclusive". It cannot be purchased anywhere else. DMC and the silks offered are available anywhere. Yes, it's nice for those who want to use those particular flosses if they order from the shop BUT . . I saw the chart and while gorgeous, it didn't look like something I personally would stitch. Then I saw the silks offered by the other shop and they were so beautiful that I ordered the chart. Her silks are my favorites and the only silks I buy/use on a regular basis. So, even though I only purchased the chart from Hobby House, it's a purchase I would not have made except for seeing the other silks. Second, I wasn't going to order the linen (though I did order several other pieces of linen from Hobby House later that week). To me, and just my opinion, while I understand the shops offering exclusives have to expend a lot of cash in advance, after all this, and reading other comments about "excluding" and "exclusives, I think I'm done with buying exclusives. This entire incident, especially since I'm one who purchased the "other" silks and don't have a problem with it but seeing how many do have a problem with it . . has taken a bit of fun out of the entire process for me. To each his own though.
Since I commented earlier, I have gone back to look through what other people have said and it is interesting to see that the majority of comments that have been liked or replied to concur with you and a few that haven't have been asked a question about the morality of buying from another silk dyer who is not offering the same silks but a cheaper alternative. Sadly the world is split into the ' haves' and the 'have nots' and questioning people about the morals of buying from another supplier or indeed whether that supplier has a right to sell a cheaper alternative silk is unfair. If we all purchased in a 'moral' manner we would seek out small manufacturer's, retailers and suppliers, only buy fair trade and Amazon wouldn't exist! I completely understand that you have a lifestyle and income to protect and your business model is successful and that should be celebrated and applauded, however, other businesses should also be allowed to succeed and simply offering a cheaper silk pack should not mean that business is targeted or denigrated for operating in a free market economy. ( I appreciate that you have not named the business but it is not beyond the wit of anyone who is interested in needlework to work out who it is) It must be remembered that not everyone is in your position financially and posing this question as a moral issue is I think unfair, after all this is needlework and should be inclusive. I do sometimes wonder what the girls who stitched these samplers would think of the excesses and the devisive nature of some of these discussions.
Yes, this should not be couched as a moral issue. Goodness, are we not talking about needlework and stitching? What happened to the big, happy stitching community? Is it a fraud? @@Veena500
Hello, I think the question about the ethics is refering to the timing the other company is offering their products, and not the fact that it is offering their products. You mentioned that the products the other store is offering are a "cheaper alternative". I am guessing you are referring to purchasing silk threads. I think the stitchers that bought from the other store it is not because they are cheaper but because they are fans of that particular brand. A cheaper alternative would buying the threads in DMC. I purchased my kit in DMC.
I am a Mexican stitcher, and as a Latin American stitcher, it can be quite challenging, expensive, and sometimes even impossible to acquire the common materials readily available in the United States or Europe. I haven't even mentioned the exclusive releases. We have a rich tradition in embroidery and needlework arts, and we are passionate about color and channeling our creativity. Therefore, using our local products and making conversions is not only natural but also necessary for many of our projects. The possibility of a PDF pattern version is a game-changer for many of us. Most of the time, our local postal service delays packages by weeks or even months, and they can sometimes get lost. Additionally, many stores don't ship to our countries. I love sharing my passion for cross-stitch, aiming to promote this art through my videos, organizing retreats, and encouraging my viewers and friends to feel comfortable using different materials to create their projects. While we may use similar stitching methods' as artists, each of us stitches in a unique way. Thus, embracing these beautiful differences allows us to personalize each project even further. We may have differences in our circumstances, but we all share a love for stitching. We want to enjoy new patterns, start them as soon as possible, and use beautiful flosses and linens. However, this isn't always possible. The business decisions made by a store to cater to their customers are their own, representing a risk in pursuit of profit. This is entirely respectable. As a customer, I am not responsible for these business decisions. Personally, I find it morally wrong that Latin American stitchers have to pay three or four times the cost of stitching materials and wait for months to receive them. We are trying to support designers and artists by buying original patterns, (Ironically, I see comments from stitchers supporting HH, and at the same time, buying Chinese kits from companies that openly infringes on copyright) I will support HH by purchasing your exclusive chart, but I also applaud the availability of other options for me as a stitcher and a client under specific circumstances. Love, Yany
I guess I’m just at a point in my life that I don’t understand why everyone just can’t get along. So the ethical/moral issue is a small producer making an alternative available. Obviously said product is used and preferred by many stitchers. Why not reach out to that one-person company and see if they would like to be part of an exclusive in the future? The price point will be more doable for a lot of stitchers on a budget. It helps out a small business. Conversions for other silks and DMC can be provided. Make room at the table for inclusion instead of exclusion.
Maybe the problem is when samplers are exclusive to a certain shop. That causes that shop to spend a lot of money for floss and linen. If they did not expect all those orders then they wouldnt overextend themselves. I dont think customers are morally required to buy supplies from the same shop as the chart. It is free enterprise after all. The pressure on customers to buy silk and linen is great. It is expensive. This is just a hobby after all. Personally I use dmc and aida. I could never afford the expensive silk and linen that is suggested for many charts. After all, when we die most of our samplers will be at charity shops. I get as much enjoyment stitching with dmc as more expensive fibers.
Sometimes I buy the whole package and sometimes I just buy the chart and stitch from my stash. That’s a personal choice on my part. I have bought lots of linen from shops just to have on hand in case I want to start new projects. I don’t see these decisions as a matter of loyalty or honor. Needlework is my hobby and businesses are run for profit. I am happy to support many of them.
I think it's up to the person purchasing. If they purchase a booklet only which is currently an option for this exclusive, Hobby House is not impacted when the buyer pulls linen and thread from their stash or when they go to another linen and/or thread dyer to purchase items which they prefer. If said linen/thread dyers offer a cut of linen or thread pack specifically for this sampler they're doing what makes good business sense for them and their business.
Dear Nicola, those fabrics are gorgeous! I especially love the continuous prints of a given design. I'd like to question your assumption that a shop that advertises alternatives to thread and fabric for a limited edition/exclusive design is doing so "off the back of" the shop that is hosting the limited edition/exclusive design. I shall never be able to afford the silk threads or overdyed linen for *any* project. So, I'm never going to be a customer of those stitching items for the limited edition/exclusive shop. I'll need to find less expensive alternatives and, even then, may not be able to purchase everything at once. A store that advertises that it can help me by providing the full range of more affordable alternatives is catering to my needs in a way that the limited edition/exclusive shop cannot, and their advertising of that ability is a time and energy saver to me (very helpful as I have severely limited physical mobility and cannot get out to shop around). My purchases at the "alternative" shop in no way takes revenue away from the "hosting" shop. I was never going to be their customer in the first place; they two are serving different consumer markets. I imagine that many (most?) of your followers are of a different socioeconomic class than am I, but there are those of us with more limited means who love your designs. We'll never be able to attend one of your classes or workshops, we'll never be able to purchase one of your extraordinary red boxes, we'll never know the delight of stitching an entire project with Au Ver à Soie, but these alternative shops allow us to occasionally purchase and stitch a HATS design that reaches out and touches us. While I applaud the shops who invest, heavily, in assuring that the silks and overdyed linens are available for your more typical clientele (and hope that they eventually realize a healthy return on their investment), I am also grateful to those shops who advertise alternatives that make it possible for me to actually stitch a gorgeous HATS sampler as a birthday or holiday gift for an appreciative family member. I would not want to disparage those alternative shops that are filling a need in the marketplace. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts from a somewhat different perspective. ❤
I love what another commenter pointed out that “exclusives” by definition and process EXCLUDE some needleworkers. I’ve never been a fan of exclusives and more so now. It really seems like a poor business decision to invest so much money when most of us have fabric and fiber stashes we would like to use up. And the silk dyer business owner did NOTHING wrong by responding to a stitcher’s request for a conversion. Disappointed in this inappropriate public shaming!
@@muebuch85234”a business who has not invested a dime in making something available actively markets an alternative product off the back of another business’s investment”
I do like to support the shops who are offering exclusives, but I also like to option to purchase the parts separately. I don't always like the fabric and/or floss choices, so it's nice to have the option to purchase just a chart, or just a chart and fabric, or just a chart and floss. I understand this can be a hassle for the shops, so sometimes I'll buy a full kit, but make changes later. As long as the designer and shop are getting the sale, I don't think it matters if we decide to get additional supplies or replacement supplies somewhere else. Lots of our favorite shops have been doing fabric and floss conversions for years for designs. Stitch what you love!
I cannot afford to buy threads and linen from Hobbyhouse. I am located in the U.K. and their postage rates are very, very high. I buy my chart and it is posted to me in the U.K. from the U.K. and I source my materials in the U.K. I buy my linen from Canada, Europe and the U.K. The importation costs when kits come into the U.K. are also prohibitive for me. I have paid up to £40 import fees on a kit in the past. It was a very expensive lesson .
It is the same for me. I just bought the chart on which I will be paying an additional eur 12 to eur15 in local charges and VAT. Had I purchased the full kit (which I wished) it would have cost me $335 from $185 as seen on website. The extra cost is the shipping and taxes.😢
You ask an interesting question regarding exclusives. Personally I don't have the budget to buy silks or full kits. I had intended to buy your recent release from Hobby House, however it is more expensive than the samplers on your website and higher postage. I don't have the means to purchase at the moment but I would at a later date. As this is a limited edition it will not be available for me to purchase it when I am able to. It is especially difficult when goods have to come from the USA as silks, linens etc incur extra import fees. I understand that by offering an exclusive release it can make customers impulse buy when they may usually make more considered purchases, that after all is the psychology of retail. The unfortunate outcome of exclusives and retreats etc is that it can create a two tier system, for those that have more funds for their hobby than others. I think you will find that those who have the funds will order everything from Hobby House and those that don't will shop around. I don't think Hobby House would invest if they felt it was a risk and their business model seems to be going from strength to strength. This recent sampler is beautiful and I am sure it will be a huge success for all concerned.
I agree. Silks and full kits are a bit expensive for me. But I still enjoy stitching my charts on aida with DMC. I'm grateful for the Floss Tube channels. They encourage me to keep stitching. 😊
Interesting comments on exclusives. My perspective is a little different. I understand the up front investment. I just hate a pattern disappearing forever. I stitch a lot of ‘old’ classics and simply work with a shop to get materials converted. Why not delay 2 years and make available as PDF?
First, I love your samplers, and have a lot of respect for HATS. I just want to express my thoughts. If I understood you correctly, Nicola, the exclusives are done to organise better the supplies for the potential “highly desirable chart” and to support one of the shops the designer likes to work with? Than what about many many other cross stitch patterns out there being released highly desirable as well but available from any shop as a kit or as a chart, and where you can go to the another shop for your supplies if there are none in the first or second ones? It has been like that for years and worked fine. It gives needleworkers more choice, instead of pushing them to “buy quicker” just because it is an exclusive. About the offers of other floss providers for the exclusives, yes, it does feel wrong although it happens a lot as the demand exists, and it exists because of what I wrote before. Like my friend mentioned, if someone is trying to limit my options I won’t buy from them. Simple as that.
I have watched the video and read some of the comments with views coming from both sides of the argument/discussion. I fully understand the exclusive and the concept of it. However, it really saddens me that we arrived at a point when if I cannot afford to go to a prestigious retreat (as it is a flight ticket to the US all the time), I can only hope for the pattern offered there to become available at some point. Do not get me wrong, I am happy to wait a set amount of time for it to be release to the wider public (we all have more stitching ready to go then we know what to do with), but I dislike the FOMO it creates for the rest of us and the greed that it seems to bring with it. The same goes for shops who do thread conversions and only sell the full set of threads instead of the conversion list and unless you are based in the US it is prohibitive to purchase these. In this way, what is different from what shops offering their own conversions are doing to what has happened here? Needlework is a hobby that should bring us all joy and not arguments. One where we can put our own creative mark on what we stitch and not feel compelled to only shop from one destination for the materials that we need to complete the project. To have the option to just buy the pattern should not make us feel guilty, but happy that we all can access these beautiful samplers one way or another.
This feels very disingenuous. Your question is stated in such a way that he response almost always will say of course that’s right. You say on one hand that stitchers can use their own stash for stitching, fabric, threads….it’s all good. If I as a stitcher I want to use different threads, that’s up to me. If I want to go to a different thread dyer and I will then ask if they have threads for it, I will do that. Maybe I like their threads better than AVAS. Tiny little thread dyer posting a conversion that a stitcher requested in a tiny little fB group. I can’t afford some of these exclusives and if I decide that I will buy the chart and get a conversion elsewhere, I will. Either that or I don’t buy a HATS design, your choice. Your question and the way it came across gives me bad vibes. I will step away from buying your designs (my tiny purchases will not make a difference I know).
Hello Sharon. Thank you for expressing your view. I am sorry that the question I asked has upset you. A needleworker should always be able to use the products they prefer to work with. I did stress that.
To add to that, i do not believe it is our responsibilty to necessarily support the decision that a shop makes. After all, it is business. For instance, I would never buy a complete kit since I can readily buy DMC, my thread of choice.
Several Flosstube people like to change the colors, fabrics, and threads for designs. Sometimes, they stitch it right after a design (including exclusives) is released. They announce it to thousands of followers in some cases. People request conversions so often that Flosstube people immediately reveal their conversion cards. They know that they will be flooded with emails and other social media messages asking for them if they don't. Other cross-stitch companies with exclusives regularly change the colors, fabrics, and threads on the designs they sell to the general public on their Flosstube channels. Kimberly Jolly always tells people that they don't have to buy supplies from Fat Quarter Shop for exclusives, but they can stitch their stash or buy less expensive floss, fabric, etc. She encourages everyone to stay within their budget. Not everyone is going to choose a conversion. Many will do the called for colors, fabrics, and threads. I liked the suggestion I read somewhere below that you could wait until the exclusive was sold out before releasing the design in print or as a PDF. I do appreciate you and all the knowledge and samplers you have shared with stitchers.
I'm always late responding to videos because I don't watch hardly any but yours and I don't have much time to watch so I'm just commenting. First I would say your talk about how exclusives work was very important as well as informative. I didn't realize there was such a commitment of funds from the shop owners to offer an exclusive. I agree that it would be wonderful for people to support the shop 100% in their commitment to support us with products for an exclusive. Unfortunately - people are always going to do what's best (or mostly) do what's best for them in regards to spending their money. the work you do is amazing and I hope everyone is aware of the fact that you put heart and soul into everything you do. Thanks !
I understand your explanation of the business side of exclusives. However, I always avoid exclusives no matter how beautiful the sampler is. The word exclusive is from the word exclude, which I believe is a concept that should be avoided in the stitching world. I have noticed that Marsha at the Scarlet Letter never has exclusives (that I know of) and her business seems to have hummed along for decades. I think perhaps some of her charts are discontinued if interest wanes because of the cost of producing another run of the minimum required.
I believe part of this uproar is based upon the fact that the HATS business model is centered on offering not just the reproduction sampler, but an entire product line, including "exclusives." In that effort, your company has been extremely successful and you are to be commended. Other reproduction sampler companies stick only to charting and selling samplers. A few sell kits, but more and more these days, the focus of their business is just the sale of charts, while HATS has moved further and further into product and brand extensions such as dish towels, tote bags, aprons and now fabric. Again, brilliant entrepreneurship on your part. Moreover, you are a noted influencer, and in the needlework world, that is a rare, and some would say, much needed resource. People like you bring new stitchers into the hobby, and keep the needle in hands of established stitchers. All that said, when a very small (and I mean small), family-owned company that threatens no one financially responds to a customer's request for a thread conversion, it really isn't in your best interest to fly off the handle like this. NB: I couldn't watch the entire video, I was too embarrassed for you. Furthermore, I don't understand why you felt it was so critical to frame your "question to understand your viewpoint" around the morality of the issue. The tables could so easily be turned. Is it moral for your company and the needlework industry to make huge profits off the samplers of these long dead girls and women, many who lived in poverty? I get that as an Influencer the context of your posts matter greatly, but have you ever thought of the irony of stitching things like Bristol Orphan Samplers while sitting in a First Class airline seat, sipping champagne, using scissors that cost $100+ on your way to teach a needlework class where many of the students have serious concerns about the price of gas, eggs and milk? I'm not questioning your choice of comforts and lifestyle, just noting the irony. That said, questioning someone's morality in the open marketplace is a tricky place to go. The slope is steep and the path is slippery. I hope the treads on your walking boots are sturdy.
I am very disppointed that the stitching community is beginning to sound like high school with the requisite mean girls and cliques. Goodness. I have stitched for 40 years, and it seems that all this nonsense is escalating.
Wow. I am astounded. Apparently we are not to enjoy the fruits of our labors... Nicola has worked hard but to point fingers at her for having a glass of champagne and for her choice of travel (or scissors), could that also not be questioning her 'morality'? Are you also criticizing every designer then who makes 'profit off the backs' of girls born a century or two ago? Perhaps we should do away with reproduction sampler stitching all across the board -- after all, no one should be making money from it -- because some people are poor? Nicola asked a simple question on the video and this has gotten way way too ugly and I am so sorry to see this. And I should ignore some of these comments but I do not like injustice of any kind whether verbal or in business.
Hello - Thank you for responding to express your views. I realise that I am very fortunate in many ways. One of those ways is the number of air miles my husband accrued over decades of business travel and which he uses to book my plane tickets. It’s nice being able to teach at a workshop where there is no charge to the store and thus to the attendees for my travel as air miles have been used. Incidentally I have never charged a US store a teaching fee, nor retail cost of the booklets for the workshop so that attendees do not have to bear the cost.
Only the chart is exclusive. If another business trys to sell the chart, that is wrong. There is nothing wrong with another business selling floss for the exclusive chart. I never stitch the called for silk, I always convert to my favorite cotton or silk floss dyers and they will do the conversion for me and offer the conversion packs for sale. Many charts of the exclusive will be sold after conversions are made public because many do not like the called for floss and will not purchase the chart until an alternative conversion of colors, brand of floss is made available that they want to use.
I do so love your videos. You are simply a charming lady. Did you stitch all of those samplers you have on display? Love them all. ❤ I love the pannels you showed. It is a delightful to see all the samplers you highlight for us. Thank you for the videos. Please keep making them. I will keep coming back.
Thank you so much, Nicola for filling us in on some of the ins and outs of the needlework industry - interesting and sobering. No, another business should not try to 'steal' (my word) sales from a business that has heavily invested in specific products for a specific needlework. You asked! So glad all the red boxes are on their way and your living space is available to you and your husband and 'the boys' again. Thanks for all your content and enthusiasm.
Speaking as a needleworker first and last, I would ask the question differently: if shops and linen dyers are struggling to keep up with demand, is it in the needleworkers’ interest to expect businesses to NOT offer or market alternatives? If we follow this logic about exclusives through, then none of the smaller businesses dyeing linen and floss today should exist because they have not a penny or dime invested in bringing a chart or the called-for supplies to the market: the designer designed the charts, and the shops invested in stocking the charts and called-for supplies, so we all need to buy only from the shops? My personal view as a stitcher is that more choices for the needleworker is a good thing and can only benefit the industry in the long run.
Choice is always good and I emphasised that in the video. Others’ views are always interesting and should be considered. Do you think it is ethical/morally correct for a business to chase the sales of another business that has offered a product they have developed the MOMENT they make the product available?
The business offered the product upon customer request; all of the conversions are offered when customers request them and are posted only on their business page and on the group devoted to that business's products. This does not deserve to be called "touting" and "chasing sales". Asking loaded questions about another business is not a way to support more choices for needleworkers: rather it seeks to limit them to only what is prescribed in the exclusives. As a needleworker, I am huge supporter of HATS and have nothing but admiration for the way it has elevated the standards of quality in the needlework industry: which is why I am very disappointed with the negative remarks in the video.
I love all the beautiful fabrics on offer. Thank you so much for the education on the industry. Even though I worked in a cross stitch shop in the late 80’s I had no idea. I always buy the full kit for an exclusive from the shop presenting it. ❤🤗
Dear Nicola, I appreciate your explanation of exclusives - I didn’t know what goes into a shop offering an exclusive. I do like the choice of ordering just the chart or the entire kit. Sometimes I want just the chart because I collect them and also I know I won’t get to stitching it for a while. Also I prefer to stitch on linen that is dyed evenly, not the mottled or aged look. I know the kits can’t have every option but I haven’t purchased a kit if the only option is the aged look linen. I understand the investment for the shop would be even greater if they were to offer two linen choices on top of all the thread counts. Managing that would be a lot! So I have just bought the chart and worked from my linen stash. Thank you for all you do to make stitching interesting and fun! PS My WOW box arrived on Friday and it is WOW!! (I couldn’t wait 2 weeks until my birthday to open it .) xx Karen
Hello Nicola, I generally buy the kit when purchasing exclusives but won’t if the only option is the aged linen. I really disliked the very mottled fabric that came with one exclusive that I need to sell. I did try a less mottled fabric on a small design and did not like it. I understand why shops may not be able to offer other more classic fabric options, but I appreciate when they do like Cathe did for her exclusive. Janice will allow you to purchase the floss, chart and fabric separately so I have purchased the floss and chart. A shop may need to determine what the choice of fabric works best with the exclusive and the target customers.
I have learned to enjoy the Assisi stitch to create designs in the void. I would like to improve my Herringbone stitch so that the stitch becomes more natural for me to stitch. P.S. Love the new small red samplers you released this week.
Hi Nicola, your question is an interesting but complicated one. On the one hand the industry keeps saying “support your local shop”.. but if they don’t have the exclusive, some of us think we are being loyal to our LNS as we can by buying the chart through the exclusive shop and then getting the supplies from our LNS. On the flip side, if the shop w the exclusive doesn’t have the materials to fully kit the chart at the time of purchase, making it easy for me, that is when I get the chart and possibly go elsewhere… this is if I am going to start it soon. If it’s going to sit in my stash, if they can’t kit the whole thing, then I may just order the chart and buy the rest later. Many of us have strong relationships with our LNS and to go to another shop feels disloyal (to them). That being said, I do think business is business and if a shop feels they need people to buy everything from them to make their efforts worth their while, then they should agree with you to only offer it as a kit. It is an interesting question though, it is always good to think about these kinds of thing from a different point of view.
I purchased a kitted option for this new sampler as I thought it so beautiful. I also purchased Florence Mary Dickinson's chart , but bought different linen and used threads I already had. I don't think it wrong to buy supplies elsewhere as we all have a lot of supplies we want to use. And I like to support my locsl LNS as I want her to keep the business going. But I would appreciate charts becoming available after a couple years so everyone has access. By then the original shop should have recovered their initial output and made money. The reason is, when you find something years after it was exclusive and you can no longer get it, I don't want to pay an inflated amount to someone who is reselling their chart.
I think it makes sense to offer charts as exclusive to one provider so stock is available and I think it’s fair to support the needlework shops that make those investments. I also noticed with Hobby House and a Present for a Friend, there were choices between fabric and DMC and Soie. Unfortunately for me a big barrier to supporting those shops is the USA shipping charges. My husband bought me the Charlotte Entwistle chart and silks, along with a winterbury needlework case for my anniversary and Valentine gift. I then realised the shipping was an additional £56 and then there was £72 tax before delivery, which I felt was high at over 50% of the original purchase price. I think he also paid £4 for the silks when I’m sure Fobbles sells them for £3.75, that increase was OK but when the tax goes on top it’s a lot. Having said all that! I’m sure when the birds and vase sampler, with the option of the front or reverse coloured silks goes on sale I will buy the full kit and just pay the shipping and tax. I love that sampler and confirmed on your Instagram post that I will stitch it with the colours on the reverse, so it’s as good as in the basket awaiting checkout. 😂 Thanks for sharing another great video.
Nicola, what a wonderful way to share the point about sponsoring shops. I had honestly never thought twice about this subject as I will often buy a pattern from one place and then when I'm ready to stitch it, search around for the supplies. I can now see what service we can do to the stores we purchase from to think of going back to them as our first resource when we are actually ready to kit up the project thereby supporting them, even if it is months later. I understand this isn't always practical, but so many stores have websites that it certainly is much easy to do that now. Thank you - much appreciated insight. And apologies to the store owners for my lack of imagination that didn't pick this up sooner.
Thank you for the needlework market explanation. Love understanding the inner workings of businesses! When I buy an exclusive release, I always buy my linen and floss from the store sponsoring the release. A small part of my reasoning is I don’t have the time to search other places. Another reason is I only want to pay shipping one time. The largest reason is that I want to support the store sponsoring the beautiful release. There is one release where I only bought the chart, but your explanation sealed my decision to return to the sponsoring shop when I’m ready to buy at least the floss. Hope you show Traditional Stitches’ exclusive next time! Happy stitching! 🧵🪡
I echo this. I like to buy the full kit when released for the additional reason that I know I have all of the supplies when I’m ready to start a new project. Thank you for your explanation of some of the industry factors. I really enjoy learning more about the business elements behind the needlework releases. To answer your question, no, it doesn’t seem fair or appropriate for another store to try to market alternative supplies. I am anxiously awaiting my red box…she is scheduled to arrive tomorrow but I’m going to try to hold out for a day to motivate myself to complete some big seasonal household chores, to open it as my reward! Thank you as always!
Thank you for explaining how exclusive orders work. I have ordered complete exclusive kits and most of them are still sitting in a bag waiting to be started. I will never get to even start most of them.( age is getting the best of me🥴). I also have a large stash of fabric, so if I love a chart and it is available to order the chart only, that is what I do now. I really appreciate the designers and shops who work so hard to bring us such beautiful projects.🥰. Thank you and Hobby House Needleworks, especially.🥰
While I appreciate the outlay from the 'exclusive ' store I find it is very difficult for those not living in the country of that store. Please don't say ' they ship internationally ' , for those of us of limited income living in countries such as Australia, the postage costs are prohibitive. Fair enough having it limited for a period of time then releasing it through HATS, but to never allow it to be made available on pdf is to deliberately exclude those stitchers outside the USA. In the case of a release such as this one the shop is going to well and truly cover their original outlay, just as happens with retreats most stitchers cannot possibly attend. Retreat exclusives are later available on general release why should these be any different. I'm afraid needlework is becoming the domain of the well-off..
I received my red box last week. It is still in the box it shipped in since I'm trying to hold out until Christmas to open it. We shall see. 😊 I prefer to buy an exclusive kitted up from the store selling the exclusive. I had no idea the amount of an investment they put in for such an exclusive. Looking forward to seeing you at Hobby House in a few weeks.
After learning the other side of the story, I’m shocked that HATS feels threatened and made such a huge deal of a very small business that is all of 1 human, who has absolutely no interest, manpower, infrastructure and financial backing support to provide an alternate for all the exclusive shoppers. The biz doesn’t actively advertise and as mentioned by another commenter only lists the packs at the request of some of their ardent fans who probably don’t want to invest in an alternate floss company that is marketed for the exclusive… so on that record, Nicola please don’t feel threatened by this tiny shop who just tries to satisfy their few loyal customers. Nicola have huge respect for your work, and how you are shaping the industry. This rant on the video is not the best version of you and you definitely could do much better than that.. hope you find your comfort soon!
Hello Akshay - Firstly I did not rant, I never too that. Nor do I feel threatened. However, there are times when a person has to stand up and be counted. The question is do you think it is moral/ethical for a business, no matter its size (size does not change or excuse its actions) to actively sell their version of a product that another business has invested time and money making available? The one thing that strikes me most that this was not months down the line but within 24 - 48 hours of the product launching. The product was advertised to a group of nearly 1200 needleworkers? I am interested in your answer, I always like to consider others views which is why I raised the matter in my video.
I should also reiterate what I have already said in the video. Needleworkers should always have the right to use the products they wish and businesses when approached should assist in providing what its customers wants. The difference lies in actively marketing their version looking for sales. There is a distinct difference.
I definitely do not want to disagree with you but the business has a small group of followers on Facebook and, as far as I know, and I could be wrong, she posted to that group that she had a conversion, which simply involves matching the DMC colors on a floss list to her colors. Yes, that can be perceived as actively marketing but to me, it seems more like mentioning it to a group of friends. It just doesn't seem like the amount of time involved in this is worth it. Just my opinion and I certainly respect yours.@@nicolaparkman
Hi Nicola - I know you encourage stitchers to stitch from stash and I know how cognizant you are with money. I deeply admire on how you work hard to keep things reasonably priced and affordable to everyone. The thread legend was sent to this small biz by a stitcher who happens to be a fan of both HATS and their silk. And it was a screengrab from your earlier FT. The list could have been delayed reaching them by a few weeks until one of the stitcher received the chart and then sent the list. The moral question can be asked regardless of the timing when the alternate pack was made available. The 1,200members in the group are not there for HATS conversions. Like any group, a majority are passive members who hardly know they exist in the group. Let’s not feel threatened by that number. As for the moral question, the chart is the only exclusive part of the kit. So I think the biz didn’t step out of bounds. And by stitchers not purchasing the entire kit, I’m sure you don’t consider them unethical or immoral. In order to make it truly exclusive and prevent this happening in the future, the legend should be removed from the chart, the floss should not have the numbers printed on the spool or the sleeve and no mention of the fabric be mentioned. Everyone gets to buy it as a kit and only option is the count of fabric that will be offered with the kit. And by agreeing to purchase the kit, they are effectively signing a Non disclosure of some sort. Today it’s this store and for the next exclusive there might be another shop that you might consider in the wrong. It’s far easier to handle if these changes are made than going after scores of people..
When someone purchases a chart (whether it be through the designer or an exclusive to a store), it is theirs to do with what they want. They can use items from their stash, or purchase somewhere else. It seems to me that this “industry” is getting very greedy and petty. I know who you are referring to, and in no way has that person undermined you or HH. If you notice on that person’s website, there are silk conversions for many charts. Oddly enough, no other designer has raised a stink. If a store wants to obtain an exclusive, that’s their prerogative to do so, and knowing it’s an investment for them. Those are the risks in the business world. Again, my opinion is that certain people are being excessively greed driven.
I agree that we are not beholden to decisions that store owners make. I stitch on a budget, almost always use DMC, dye some of my own linens. I feel no obligation whatsoever. Most kits are out of my reach.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. It’s always interesting to listen to other people and their views should be considered. Do you think it is ethical/morally correct for a business to chase the sales of another business that has offered a product they have developed the MOMENT they make the product available?
hello Sally - I wholeheartedly believe that needleworkers should be free to choose how and what they use to stitch with. I did emphasis that in the video. N x
I wouldn't consider it a business chasing the sales of another business when it was a customer who asked for the conversion, not the shop owner. @@nicolaparkman
The new sampler you acquired is definitely a candidate for the Queen of the May. She is just gorgeous. I’m also looking forward to buying some of your beautiful sampler fabric, too. Thank you for sharing about the lead time for informing suppliers about popular new releases. I had no idea that they needed that much lead time. I knew immediately what supplier you were referring to in regards to the Hobby House exclusive. From the comments, I think some people misunderstood what you were asking. Obviously, if the shop is offering the exclusive offer a chart only option they know stitchers might seek supplies elsewhere which you indicated. I believe that is fine as some people have a large stash, want to support their LNS, or need to spread out the cost of the project. However, I think it is in very poor taste to market a thread bundle for another shop’s exclusive. FYI. I purchased silk thread from this dyer for two different projects many years ago. I felt the silk was not as good a quality as AVAS, but the big problem was that some of the colors were not even close to the shade of AVAS or DMC that the chart called for. I was very upset because I knew I had wasted my money. At the time, silks were a luxury for only very special charts. I ended up purchasing the called for AVAS but I did so gradually. After that experience, I have never bought from that thread dyer again. Maybe, the silks now are higher quality and the colors are better matched, but I’m won’t take that chance again. Thank you for all you do for the stitching community❤
I thought I misunderstood the question as well because so many folks are talking about purchasing linen and threads elsewhere. I understood the question to be of a store marketing their product to replace another store’s exclusive kit since the pattern is also being sold as a stand-alone. Folks marketing their product like this ruins it for everyone. This will cause stores to only offer kits to prevent this and will limit buyers who can’t afford kits from being able to use their own more affordable options. Hopefully stitchers will send the message by not purchasing from these marketing sharks who piggyback big names in order to make a prophet.
Hello Rachel - I am glad you saw what the end result could be, stores only selling kits not stand alone booklets. Needleworkers will then have a restricted choice. Its important that booklet only sales are supported. N x
Thank you for all of the information concerning exclusives! So much more goes into them, than had thought about. I feel the need to support the shop that is hosting the exclusives. I believe that shops are such a valuable resource and I want to do what I can to help them thrive. I cannot imagine not having my local needlework shop available, I doubt I would have taken up cross stitch. I am so grateful to have access to all that they offer!
Hello Nicola, thank you for sharing some insight into the needlework business, it was very illuminating. To answer your question, I don't think it is fair for another business to actively approach stitchers with an offer of essentially replicated products, unless they offer a conversion of their own, different colour scheme, etc. As these limited releases are in collaboration with the US stores, ordering kits to be shipped to the UK is not an option for me considering how much extra I would have to pay to receive them. Now I think I understand why you do not work with our own stores- they simply cannot afford to invest in such an enterprise. I look forward to getting my copy of Martha. She is such a special sampler.
Hello April - I am actively trying to promote reproduction samplers in the UK. Unfortunately there are very few stores in the UK who are interested in stocking reproduction samplers. However, before this year is out we will have a collaboration with a small store to help them, however, it is not the UK but another country, the first we have done it the store’s country.
Wonderful video as always!! I’m loving the fabrics, they are gorgeous. Thank you for speaking on the industry. I work for a brick and mortar needlework shop and truly understand the investment that would go in to offering an exclusive. While it’s perfectly legal for a silk dyer or fabric dyer to market their own conversion, on an exclusive, I think it’s a dirty practice. The exclusive and its materials should be exclusive to the shop hosting. If a silk or fabric dyed wants to be a part of an exclusive they should reach out to shops and work with them directly to create something. It’s nice that people have the ability to purchase a stand alone chart but that may be hurting the shop that’s hosting the exclusive. Maybe offer as a kit only for a period of time with payment plans for those who can’t afford that investment all at once. I know hobby house offers shop pay and that’s a wonderful option to pay over time.
Very thought provoking. At this time in my life, I have more charts kitted up with linen and threads than I could stitch in more than a few lifetimes. If I were a shop owner investing that much cash in an upcoming chart, I would sell in kit form only. It seems like the popular exclusives sell out fairly quickly. For all the moaning when someone misses out on a chart, realistically, there are a plethora of charts and designers to choose from. First world problem.
I very much appreciate when a shop exclusive is offered as a chart only. I have a ton of fabric and a preferred thread I always use, and I enjoy picking my own fabric and colors. From the business model standpoint, when a chart is offered as a stand alone, the business must anticipate a certain percentage of buyers will buy the chart alone and adjust their estimates of sales of fibers and fabrics. I never buy exclusives that are all-inclusive. If I really want the chart, I wait a year for the designer to release to the general public, or if that does not happen, I wait for the chart to show up on the secondary market. So thank you to Hands Across the Seas for working with shops to produce exclusives and thank you to Hobby House Needleworks for giving us options!
I ❤ the idea of exclusives and have been supporting them by buying the entire kit. What’s happened lately with all the enablers around us and lack of self control and the consequences of suffering from the FOMO syndrome, I was extremely happy when HHN provided the ability to buy the chart. With holiday season coming up; inflation and job insecurity money is not free flowing anymore. I can now buy the linen and threads when I put my charity bowl to collect some extra dough from family and friends for my 60th birthday to feed my addiction 😊 On the similar lines of your reasoning on it being perfectly fine to stitch with items from stash, where the stitcher decides to buy other parts to make the finish should be totally up to the stitcher, as long as the stitcher is not hurting the exclusive seller by buying the whole kit and returning parts of the kit or canceling the kit after making an order.. there just can’t be one side to the sob story. If the exclusive sellers are holding their right to the bargain, they need to make sure they are shipping in the order they receive the orders in the order they receive.
Hello Dear Nicola ,thank you for making me feel better about Using what we like and what we have. I sometimes while watching floss tube feel very intimatdated. I only stitch on 14 count Aida and Use only DMC . When I see see everyone with there linen and there silks I feel bad that I'm not able at this time to get into all that. But I must say, That with my DMC and my 14ct. I produce Beautifull reproduction samplers ....and I'm a crafter and quilter and crocheter and I do all my own ffo's. So I love your charts. And I do invest in the charts, And they do come out just as lovely as the ones done on the linen and silks. Thank you for letting us know. That it is OK. To be ourselves. Linda from Rhode Island
Nicola, I just love and adore you. Thank you so much for adding the aida graphs to your charts! I feel so extraordinarily blessed to know that you have such a consideration in place for all stitchers. I can't wait to see what else you have that will have aida stitching inserted. As for the Stitchfolk project bag - I bought that first thing on the morning of the red box release. I love it so! I will also email you to be put on the waiting list for the red box. I do want to ask : Will you be making more tea towels? I had recently seen Brenda's (Brenda and the Serial Starter) tea towel of Anne Thomas made into a project bag and it was to die for. I also realized after your mentioning about exclusives and the time and cost involved; production of silks, linen and chart books... that you inadvertently neglected to mention the paper involved in the printing of those charts. As yours are in booklet form, there is an additional cost that not many consider or think about. Not because people don't care, but they just don't think about all the necessaries. Believe it or not, there was an issue here in the states regarding print runs at print houses; before Covid started there was a shortage of paper across the printing industry ( my dad works in publication of educational supplemental materials for schools, etc). During Covid many of those print houses shut down during the Pandemic to prevent illness, so then you had backlog of print runs that were already in place before Covid, and now backed up even further because of it. It took a long while before everything came back "normal". There are some print houses permanently closed because they lost money due to Covid, so now there is an even more limited avenue to print books. It's a real issue, and I don't know what the situation is like in Britain regarding print houses,. My hope is that that area of commodity has not been seeing such a dire circumstance in your country. All my love and hugs to you, Jen
Hello Jennifer - when I return from the USA I will be releasing a new series of tea towels and they are my favourite so far. With regards to paper just before Covid struck it was an issue in the UK too. Prices rocketed as a result. N x
@@nicolaparkman You are a dynamo! I swear, you can give the Energizer bunny a run for the money. LOL I am looking forward to seeing what new tea towels will be available. Be safe traveling and looking forward to new goodies and a new video. Love, Jen
Thank you for sharing the behind the scenes workings of new releases. Quite the conundrum, as you said. I had no idea that the lead time for ancillary supplies could be as much as 18 months… Horrors! While I fully respect any exclusive supplied by a shop, be it chart or kit, when the exclusive time limit has expired, I also believe in a free market to provide for alternate needs. For instance, if I fall in love with a chart but the the kit is only provided in cottons and I only stitch in silks, should I be excluded from obtaining silks? I think we are also seeing a clash of ‘cottage industry’ supply with ‘commercial’ needs. If an exclusive is given to a shop that can’t meet the need, what is the answer? Quite the conundrum! I hope to revert to the 80/20 rule…if 80% of the needs are met, that is success!
I did not realize the long pre-planning that would go in a popular release. I appreciate being able to just purchase a chart sometimes, especially if its a pattern I don't think I'll start for a while, but I also appreciate buying a thread kit or a full kit from a store that releases an exclusive. I don't think it's quite right for another business to basically take business away from a shop that's invested in an exclusive. Your new sampler is a stunner - I love that little house on it, but the whole sampler is beautiful. My WOW box arrived, and is squirreled away for Christmas morning - I think that red box will look great under the tree!
Wonderful video and beautiful charts. Absolutely love the fabric. I received my project bag and red box which I immediately gave it to my husband to wrap up for Christmas. I was so tempted to open it but it will be extra special to open during the holidays. So interesting about the exclusives and as a consumer I like the option given to me to purchase a kit, it’s convenient and also gives me the opportunity to get everything at one shop. I tend to stick to the called for linen and threads so by having a shop that has all that for me is a blessing for I don’t have to go try and find everything I need at several shops. Personally I think when it’s limited it should stay limited for the shop. If it was to be released in the future, then conversions could be made. But also some May see this as business means business so they can make opportunities for consumers in order to profit from it. It’s complicated but also I think the shop who is offering the limited kit should be the one who profits for they are putting a lot of effort and time into an exclusive. Sorry to ramble but it definitely is a great conversation to have. What does a shop owner have to say about offering exclusive kits?
I appreciate Hobby House and the job they do. I just bought only the booklet this time because I wanted to dream about it a while before decide on linen and fabric. I personally am very mindful of all the work involved with providing and I am very grateful. When I attend a class at HH I bring my list and pick out the exact fabric cut I like and then pull the threads. That being said though it is so fun to order the full kit. My thoughts aren’t adding much to this discussion. I do buy a lot of exclusives. I thank David and Cathy for giving us so many choices and I will remain a faithful costumer❤
Thank you for sharing the inside workings of this very unique business. It’s very interesting to me as I’ve often wondered how it all worked. I had no idea that the lead times were so long. It must be very difficult for you to predict that far ahead how the sales of a sampler will probably go. As to your question, I think that it is not ethical for other shops and sources to advertise the alternatives to the called for supplies, UNLESS - the exclusive shop has not ordered enough to go around and there is virtually none of the called for linen or thread available to be found. My sister and I, who have been stitching our whole lives but are relatively new to the reproduction craze that is currently happening in the industry, have often found that even if the chart is only a year or two old there are none of the called for supplies to be had. This is particularly true with the linen suppliers as they seem to run off several hundred yards when the chart is released and then never make it again. But I do think that trying to offer alternatives from the beginning of an exclusive release when the supplies are plentiful is like trying to steal the design and make it somehow better with newer different linens and threads. Of course this is JMHO. Thank you for all you do for our beautiful hobby and the industry!
Thank you Abi. Should someone profit from my intellectual property that is not only copyrighted but trademarked? When a licence has only be granted to one business to use my intellectual property for commercial gains should a non-licensee use my intellectual copyright and trademark?
Nicola, I had no idea what went into an exclusive! Would it be feasible for a shop to offer only the kits at first? We all have seen retreat charts that we have to wait a year to purchase. I think if someone buys just the chart and reaches out to a thread dyer, asking for a conversion that is one thing. But I personally don’t think it should be advertised on social media as a conversion immediately upon release of the exclusive. Thank you for the thought provoking question. ❤Susan
Hello Nicola! I received the WOW Box last thursday and I put in a wardrobe! I was very happy because the box is here in Italy, from your house to my house! It's so funny! And the custom taxes were like 16 euros. I was expecting more... It's to be opened on Dec 25th and I wil avoid any spoiler on flosstube. Your new old sampler Ann Watson is a bobbydazzler (as you say). I can't wait to stitch it because it's not symmetrical. Those are the samplers that I prefer. I really thank you for your amazing work that gives joy to so many people. I hope you can now relax a bit and enjoy autumn. Happy Stitching!
I don’t feel a business that has not invested any money into an exclusive, should pirate linen and/or floss equivalents of their choice. I feel that like exclusive charts, linen and floss for that chart should be proprietary for a year. After that, they can promote their own linen and floss kits for the year old chart. But hey, that’s my own opinion🤗
Good Morning Nicola! You are surrounded by so many beautiful Samplers today! I really love your Shop Exclusives and the fact that we can buy everything we need at the sponsoring Shop. Not only do I want to support the sponsoring shop, I do not want to hunt around for the fabric and threads. Thank you for putting your heart into providing us years of enjoyment thru our stitching! 💝
The exclusive refers to the pattern only. While the purpose is to help Local Needlework Shops with business, not everyone likes the silk threads offered. I personally do not like AVAS threads and will always use the DMC or another cotton conversion. For the silk dyer in question to make a conversion, someone who owns the chart had to send her the floss list. That means someone who wanted the exclusive chart did not want the silk floss provided by the shop. To claim it is an issue of morality to use a different floss than charted is ridiculous. The bigger issue is the fact that companies like yours are making this hobby a 1% hobby. There is nothing wrong with DMC. For the people in the back, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH DMC. Cross stitch is a hobby that should be accessible to anyone who wants to participate without feeling like they are less because the either cannot afford silk or (like me) do not use silk due to the inhumane way of harvesting silk.
I usually buy all the parts from the hosting shop of an exclusive. Sometimes it is hard to piecemeal it together. Sometimes I will use fabric from my stash if I don't particularly like the one they are offering. I do have a huge stash of fabrics and floss/silks. I LOVE Martha and can hardly wait to get it in my hands. I did order the full kit. Thank you for your wonderful and informative flosstubes. I so enjoy them.
Hi Nicola! So sorry I won’t make it to Hobby House but maybe The Attic in January? Ann Watson is superb and I cannot wait to see her available. I can only imagine the colors from the back of the sampler!! With regard to the conversions, I’ve seen the matter come up in some other groups and I do see the concerns. I will say that once I purchase I feel it is my purview to do as I wish with whatever materials I should choose. There are many that offer and share conversions to different fabrics and fibers. The Attic is WELL known for their conversions of many designers. I also appreciate the time and investment by a host shop. Perhaps there should be a “kit only” options for a period of time, after which the chart only option would be available? If it’s something I truly want I would purchase the kit and then if I wanted another conversion I feel that’s my choice as well (I have done this relative to another group/release. So I CHOSE to pay double for my fibers). HATS has been a leader and innovator in the industry. Your work has helped raise the bar for all participants in the industry and bringing so many options to us as needleworkers. I feel the fact that in a way other vendors have been able to grow as well is a huge compliment. We have so many more products for rings, bags, etc. I know there are no easy solutions here but I do fall on the side of user choice.
If there's a sell-out at the Hobby House event, then offer for sale zoom tickets for people to join in that manner. That's a marketing technique we use in the US in sports. For example, if a sports game is sold out, pay-for-view is offered for those who cannot attend the event at a stadium. Part of the zoom attendees' payment could also go to charity to support outreach for cross-stitch programs in schools and other children's organizations. I offered a small free class and had seven students, all happy to explore their new-found interest in needle arts. I would pay a certain fee for a retreat viewing and be happy that some of my fee was set aside for children, which is nice since so many of the patterns you rescue are done by children.
Hello Katherine - I would be happy for a workshop I present to be available on Zoom as well, however, it is the store or organisation that would offer and facilitate that not me. It would be worth you suggesting the idea directly with the event organisers. N x
That is a wonderful idea. Some people cannot attend retreats and classes due to work schedules, having small children, etc. Online videos and/or Zoom conferences on various topics would be very popular and another income stream for HATS.
Hello Nicola, and thank you for today's video. I always anticipate seeing them every Sunday. I've had to think about the question you posed today about exclusives, kitted or not. I admit I just feel a little naive about the issue. I'm not aware of any competition regarding exclusives. I always buy the whole kit from the sponsoring shop. I see that as doing so to keep (and encourage) those exclusives coming! The individual shops who offer them should get their spotlight time and support for the work they've done also. You always give 3 thread choices, and believe me when I say I will be stitching as charted. Ditto for fabric. I'm not a designer, just a needleworker. 😊 Hope this made sense.
Needlework stores have built reputations on selling their own conversions of various charts for years. They are widely known and lauded for this provision. If an exclusive offering needs to block the ability of the stitcher to use other options for materials, then sell only the kits. Problem solved. If exclusives aren’t financially lucrative, why do shops keep offering them? Maybe the outlay of such large deposits isn’t the best business plan? Trying to control the free market of stitching choices isn’t a good strategy. It is the shop/business that chooses to take the financial risk, but should the stitcher be morally responsible for their decision? Now exclusives are no longer appealing to me. There are plenty of beautiful charts and supplies available without the FOMO of exclusives and limited editions.
Ann Watson took my breath away. Can’t wait for its release. Martha a must have with its amazing border and that pretty bird. My house is rose themed. I almost always order a kit if I can or if I get the chart straight from you I order the threads same time. Hate not being able to find later. I think I’ve gotten all the exclusives. I’m heartbroken if I miss out lol HATS is my current obsession. IMO if it’s an exclusive the shop should be the sole provider. They need to reap their investment. Thanks for visiting
Another beautiful flosstube! And good background on exclusives. Given the investment by a needlework shop to host an exclusive, I think they should retain it for a period of time. And, as you noted, the ability to purchase the chart only from that needlework shop is a good practice for those that, perhaps, do not have the means to kit up with certain threads or linens. I do think once the investment costs are reaped and “interest” accrued over a set period of time, making the chart available elsewhere, might be worth considering. Thank you again and look forward to meeting you in November!
I must say, I’m distressed by some of the comments/feelings in this post - they feel like personal attacks. Big hugs to you Nicola - I so appreciate all that you have done and continue to do for we stitching addicts!❤️
I love the gorgeous 'new' sampler that you showed and will look forward to its future release! Your fabrics are so beautiful, Nicola and such a fabulous idea. Thanks so much for sharing what goes into a shop being able to offer an exclusive. I know there have been times where I have just bought the chart (because I don't want to regret not purchasing it) and either: a) I don't have plans to stitch it soon so I don't want to put out the money for the kit, b) I can't afford it at the time, or c) the cost of shipping is too high. I appreciate having the choice to just buy the chart. You have posed a very interesting question. My first reaction is no, the exclusive should remain just that for at least a year so that the shop offering it has the opportunity to benefit from the investment they have made into securing the supplies for the exclusive. Thanks as always, Nicola and happy stitching.
I have to say, I had no idea that an exclusive cost the releasing shop that kind of investment. But in my opinion, whether the releasing shop invested monies or not, the situation you speak of is a form of pirating, totally unacceptable!
Wow - thanks for walking us through what it's like behind the scenes! Your question really made me think. I can absolutely see why it's important to support the business that sponsors the release, especially after hearing that they can sometimes invest hundreds of thousands of dollars years in advance. Thinking of myself - I can never afford to buy an entire kit at once. And oftentimes the limited releases can sell out before I can purchase everything called for. I know that I'm thankful when I can easily find the supplies necessary at shops that are off the beaten path and that don't sell out so quickly. I would always want to support the businesses that made the pattern possible and do so as often as possible. But having options is also very important to my budget and my own (very slow) timeline. I hope this sort of answers your question ❤
Hello Katie - thank you for taking the time to respond. The needleworker’s freedom to choose how and with what they stitch their sampler is paramount. I can remember when I used to save to kit up. It costs a lot particularly on bigger projects. I am glad that HHN offered the chart only option. On a separate note it is a shame when you see another business chase the business of a store the MOMENT they release a product that they have invested in. Choice is good for the needlework market but there is a way of conducting business. N x
@@nicolaparkman totally agree! I think I was thinking about finding kits 6 months or a year (or even more) after the release! Not kits from other businesses as soon as the pattern is released. Sorry! I think I misunderstood your original question!
I am always amazed at the beautiful charts that have been designed by so many different little girls and women. We need a full time job to purchase all we love. I fully understand the exclusivity of different designs and understand the concept. It is though they are investing into your company just for their exclusive sale of an item. What a wonderful supportive hobby we share.
Lovely to have a long video from you and thank you for your explanation of the situation. Speaking as a retiree on a fixed income it is impossible to buy any of your exclusives from the US as postage is usually double the cost of the purchase. I know I appreciate your low postage rate as a booklet is so much nicer than a pdf, even if we don’t get instant gratification. Perhaps we can see exclusives being available in Australian and dare I say New Zealand at some future dates. In the meanwhile we save and eventually buy. We are getting a greater range stitchy bits thanks to the investment our businesses, it is a huge risk for all and I know I appreciate them. Thank you for your hard work which even if we can’t purchase, we all benefit in the long run. Keep safe and well as the seasons turn and you wind down a little from your marathon efforts of late.
As all the comments reveal, ethical positions are personal and fluid, depending on life experiences and situation and it’s a challenge to draw conclusions without the whole context. I would love the needlework industry to be a bit more ‘lagom’ and think about environmental impact and sustainable packaging a bit more, but that’s just my ethical position and apropos of nothing!
Nicola, as usual, a very interesting floss tube! I am strongly tempted to try to get in to the May retreat ... my friend Leslie, with whom I attended TGBSW, is going, and that Scottish sampler is really beautiful! On the other topic, thank you for the insight into how the needle work market works, what shops must do to be prepared for their normal business as well as extremely popular releases. I would not be comfortable with a business doing a direct competitive action while an exclusive were being offered, but after the fact if a shop wanted to say "we have thread packs for a certain sampler that was offered exclusively a couple of years ago" that would be fine, I would think. I agree also that stitchers will always want to use materials from their own stashes both to manage their expenses as well as to exercise their own creativity ("I wonder how this would look on this color linen? I prefer yellow roses to pink ones, I wonder if this selection of threads would work for this border?" and similar thinking). And for someone like me, who has no local needlework shop closer than a four hour drive, I often must use materials from my stash because there are not easy ways to get at a broader selection! (I bought quite a bit of linen at TGBSW in order to have good options for my stitching, in fact, because I knew I would be very happy being able to select specific pieces of linen while able to directly compare colors.) Thanks for the video and for your interesting comments. I loved TGBSW!!
So what you are saying is that if I purchase a special edition sampler with my own money that I can't finish it as I WANT to! First of all, who are you to tell me what I can or cannot do! If you have to put a retainer up to a manufacturer months before then why are there always backorders? This makes no sense to me at all. So Nicola, you now think you are so big or larger than others that you make the rules. Shame on you!!! Edited to add: I forgot to add: What about The Attic and all it's conversions to silk? Is that appropriate since it doesn't affect your patterns?
Hello. Thank you for taking the time to express your view. I am sorry that you interpreted what I said in the video that I was telling what you can or cannot do. I did stress more than once that a needleworker must be free to stitch a sampler in the products they prefer. I have never seen The Attic advertise a conversion for a sampler that was an exclusive of another store.
I don’t think it’s right that a business would capitalize on someone else’s (a business offering an exclusive and investing that huge amount of money) in someone else’s hard work. How unfortunate. I have stitched your samplers both with Au Vera Sio and DMC or just threads from my stash, but knowing this information would make me more inclined to purchase an entire kit from the exclusive shop, and probubly choosing the silks now that I know those are booked dye lots. Very informative. If it was not for you I would not have fallen in love with Hobby house, or even knew who they were. I ordered the Silks for Rose Ada at the time of purchase, very glad I did they stay vibrant and shiny, very beautiful and I am almost finished with stitching her, it has only taken me…. Two years? ❤
Hello - Thank you for responding. To answer your question I am expanding my business by selling fabric that I design. My designs are based solely on my own work and creativity. I think that is very different.
Hi Nicola, that was a very nice card from one of the attendees from your retreat. Congratulations on your very successful first retreat again. Have a great week. TTFN
Thank you for your explanation of the supply process for very popular designs - I had no idea, but of course it all makes sense when you explain it. It is quite an investment for a shop to offer an exclusive. I have only bought two exclusives so far - and Martha is one of them. I only bought the chart, since I wanted to check my stash of DMC threads to see what I had - and I wanted to choose linen from my stash. (I’m really not fond of mottled linen and I am fortunate to have a local needlework shop that I support - and to my knowledge they have never promoted or advertised an alternate for an exclusive). So I think I would find it unfair for a competing shop to actively advertise an alternate kit for an exclusive. And think it’s good that Hobby House and other shops that offer exclusive offer the chart only - for those of us who want to use our stash - or maybe just collect the charts. I ordered your lovely tote bags and was planning to share with my sisters, but I had to keep Martha Walmsley for myself - and I have to say, the quality is amazing! Thank you for your weekly videos - I enjoy them so much!
Thank you Nicola for explaining why and how Exclusives works as I've been asking myself what's going on seeing that this started to be very usual. Living in Italy, an Exclusive to me means to have NO opportunity to stitch that project because shipping costs and customs taxes makes the final cost just crazy. Also I have a good stash and always prefer to make my own choices on what to use. I would say to all designers please make exclusives available to all us in a later time, one or two years (PDF's are just great !) as everyone has different needs and it's sad to just "look but don't touch" . I 'm crazy for Sarah Milthorpe , will she be available one day ? Thank you :)
Hello Frances - thank you for commenting. Sarah will release early next year. I cannot release her until January 2024 as she was part of a workshop in January 2023. If my work commitments allow I will make her available as soon as I possibly can. I am very conscious that a lot of needleworkers are eagerly awaiting her - N x
Another great video (yes I’m late in watching) very informative about how the exclusive/limited edition charts work, and a very thought provoking question….I purchase the chart only, conversion rates and postage to Australia is ridiculous and with the economy the way it is right now it’s the only way I can continue my love of stitching…we are very fortunate that you offer us the opportunity to purchase just the chart….as for another company ‘promoting’ a cheaper alternative for threads (and this is only my opinion) then no I do not think that is fair, I can understand with social media people will want to know where others have purchased them from and I have no problem with that, but the other company should only be selling their products to customers that request an alternative and not advertise it on their website or shop for at least 6 months after the exclusive has been released…..
Thank you for the explanation of the how and why of exclusives. It was an eye opener. I had no idea of the serious investment required of the store keepers. I’m a fairly new fan of your designs and have not purchased any exclusives but that may change soon. With the knowledge I now have I certainly would get all the materials from that shop.
Nicola, Thank you for taking the time to explain everything that goes into sponsoring an exclusive. Needleworkers and shops need to be partners, we need each other. There are also other third parties that offer complimentary products, we need them too as they provide alternatives and often times push our creativity. For exclusives, I believe people need to respect the process and cost investment you explained that goes into the process. If someone chooses to only buy the chart, they should respect the process by not sharing the materials like the thread list. I’m hoping people do what they do out of ignorance. After an adequate waiting period and the chart is now publicly available, I expect it’s okay to source the materials from other parties. Thank you again for the explanation and I appreciate you staying above the fry and maintaining civility.
Hi Nicola. Love your offerings. I have a love/hate relationships with exclusives. I go back to Ann Uffindell when I thought I wouldn’t be able to have the chart. Well fast forward and it’s available to all. I have the fear of FOMO with exclusives. I stitch on 32ct Lugana which is considered lower than Aida. It’s not offered in any kits. When the exclusives come out I have to buy linen that I’m not going to use. Hopefully I can resell them someday. I but the kit so that I can have the Minnie McBean frippery. Lots of time I would like just the chart and then go to my LNS for the rest. We are encouraged to support them. By the way my LNS has never advertised to undercut the shop having the exclusive which is your question. I wouldn’t support that. HobbyHouse has always been great about offering options. They have even allowed me to substitute Lugana for the linen. Wish Lugana was more acceptable in the stitching world. Just imagine saying DMC and Lugana in one breath!! Well I digress and my answer to your question is no, it’s not fair to a shop who has invested $ to have another shop undercut them!! Take care
I think it is awesome that one can purchase the kits for those that need the whole decision making made for them or to be exact to the chart. I have a tendency to stitch everything 1 over 1 on 28ct Evenweave, which means kits don't really work for me, so I love that I can buy the things I need separately so that I can still stitch the beautiful charts. I think your question has been a conundrum for many business throughout time... is it fair that a store brand (Kroger Ibuprofen) advertises the same product as the brand name (Advil)? I'm not sure how that will ever change.
As a needle worker, customer, and someone very familiar with both sides of business: If the 2nd business is effectively trying to steal customers from the 1st via advertising alternatives to the materials called for in the exclusive, I would not shop with business 2. That behavior feels underhanded and dishonest. If a customer goes out of their way to request substitutions from business 2, then of course the shop should provide their usual standard of customer service. But to actively try and piggyback off of someone else’s investment and draw customers away from them? That would be cause for me to truly consider if I would shop there again.
Very interesting question, and I definitely have an opinion. First thank you for the detailed explanation about how exclusives work. I don't think the average stitcher has any idea about all it takes not only in time but money to offer an exclusive. Then when a store does, I cannot imagine another merchant hopping on the bandwagon trying to sell their own linen and floss instead of what the original store offers. That is just not right. That seems unethical somehow. The other merchant has nothing invested. However, they want to leach off the original store who has so very much invested in the success of the exclusive. I do appreciate that not everyone wants to buy the linen and silk from the exclusive store. That's not the point. The point is that the "other" merchant should not actively advertise their alternative products for an exclusive release that is offered by another merchant. That's called, "riding the coat tails." In this case, that is just wrong based on the huge upfront investment the original store had to pay. If someone disagrees with me and say's it is just good business, then I don't want to do business with those folks. My opinion. It is hard enough for cross stitch shops to stay in business. Thanks again for sharing Nicola. I learn so much from your channel!!! Hugs from NE Ohio.
Unless you have watched a video like this one, the average needleworker has no clue about this investment. Thus, nobody can put the onus on them! They just do an online search and look for what they need or visit their local LNS. The money involved or the risks that the shopowners take makes little difference to the average stitcher. They are buried deep in their cross stitch and are not concerned about the business end of things!
Nicola, your business discussion at the end of today's video was very informative. Of course, I agree with the point your were making. The business that made a huge investment to bring a cross stitch project to market should be the business to profit from selling the project. Any business that deliberately acts to steal customers from the investing cross stitch shop should be shunned.
Thank you for explaining that part of the retail process. I had no idea. It actually makes me want to consider buying exclusives more, to support the shops who have invested.
I wasn't quite sure what you were referring to with the exclusives issue but did a wee bit of digging and I think I understand.
It appears that a dyer is offering a silk pack for a recent exclusive.
I really don't have a problem with this. Alternatives are a good thing but I would bet that Hobby House is not going to be materially affected by a dyer offering a much cheaper silk pack.
Stitchers are also going to buy less expensive fabric and choose to stitch with DMC instead of silk.
I'll buy the pattern from HH, the fabric from my local stitch shop and the DMC from Michael's. It will cost me less than half of the $190.00 for the kit with soie d'alger. Or the alternative silk at $135.00 for it all.
Choice is good.
HH does offer a DMC kit. However, Nicola is not saying that you can't buy your materials from other places. It's that the dyer is trying to profit off other people's time, money, and work that was prepared for this release
Hello Robyn - choice is always good and I emphasised that in my video. Thank you for sharing your viewpoint - N x
I appreciate when the chart is available separately. I am IMMENSELY appreciative when a chart is offered in PDF format (due to eye issues and being able to zoom). I cannot always justify buying a whole kit, as often the linen is not my preference. I also have a full set of thread, so buying more thread isn't easy to justify either. Being completely honest and straighforward- if the exclusives were to only be offered as full or partial kits, I would probably skip the purchase all together.
My understanding, and I could well be wrong, is that the chart is what's "exclusive". It cannot be purchased anywhere else. DMC and the silks offered are available anywhere. Yes, it's nice for those who want to use those particular flosses if they order from the shop BUT . . I saw the chart and while gorgeous, it didn't look like something I personally would stitch. Then I saw the silks offered by the other shop and they were so beautiful that I ordered the chart. Her silks are my favorites and the only silks I buy/use on a regular basis. So, even though I only purchased the chart from Hobby House, it's a purchase I would not have made except for seeing the other silks. Second, I wasn't going to order the linen (though I did order several other pieces of linen from Hobby House later that week). To me, and just my opinion, while I understand the shops offering exclusives have to expend a lot of cash in advance, after all this, and reading other comments about "excluding" and "exclusives, I think I'm done with buying exclusives. This entire incident, especially since I'm one who purchased the "other" silks and don't have a problem with it but seeing how many do have a problem with it . . has taken a bit of fun out of the entire process for me. To each his own though.
Since I commented earlier, I have gone back to look through what other people have said and it is interesting to see that the majority of comments that have been liked or replied to concur with you and a few that haven't have been asked a question about the morality of buying from another silk dyer who is not offering the same silks but a cheaper alternative. Sadly the world is split into the ' haves' and the 'have nots' and questioning people about the morals of buying from another supplier or indeed whether that supplier has a right to sell a cheaper alternative silk is unfair. If we all purchased in a 'moral' manner we would seek out small manufacturer's, retailers and suppliers, only buy fair trade and Amazon wouldn't exist! I completely understand that you have a lifestyle and income to protect and your business model is successful and that should be celebrated and applauded, however, other businesses should also be allowed to succeed and simply offering a cheaper silk pack should not mean that business is targeted or denigrated for operating in a free market economy. ( I appreciate that you have not named the business but it is not beyond the wit of anyone who is interested in needlework to work out who it is) It must be remembered that not everyone is in your position financially and posing this question as a moral issue is I think unfair, after all this is needlework and should be inclusive. I do sometimes wonder what the girls who stitched these samplers would think of the excesses and the devisive nature of some of these discussions.
Where can I send you some flowers?
Thank you for commenting Elaine. I respect your opinion - N x
Hear hear!
Yes, this should not be couched as a moral issue. Goodness, are we not talking about needlework and stitching? What happened to the big, happy stitching community? Is it a fraud? @@Veena500
Hello,
I think the question about the ethics is refering to the timing the other company is offering their products, and not the fact that it is offering their products.
You mentioned that the products the other store is offering are a "cheaper alternative". I am guessing you are referring to purchasing silk threads. I think the stitchers that bought from the other store it is not because they are cheaper but because they are fans of that particular brand.
A cheaper alternative would buying the threads in DMC. I purchased my kit in DMC.
I am a Mexican stitcher, and as a Latin American stitcher, it can be quite challenging, expensive, and sometimes even impossible to acquire the common materials readily available in the United States or Europe. I haven't even mentioned the exclusive releases.
We have a rich tradition in embroidery and needlework arts, and we are passionate about color and channeling our creativity. Therefore, using our local products and making conversions is not only natural but also necessary for many of our projects.
The possibility of a PDF pattern version is a game-changer for many of us. Most of the time, our local postal service delays packages by weeks or even months, and they can sometimes get lost. Additionally, many stores don't ship to our countries.
I love sharing my passion for cross-stitch, aiming to promote this art through my videos, organizing retreats, and encouraging my viewers and friends to feel comfortable using different materials to create their projects. While we may use similar stitching methods' as artists, each of us stitches in a unique way. Thus, embracing these beautiful differences allows us to personalize each project even further.
We may have differences in our circumstances, but we all share a love for stitching. We want to enjoy new patterns, start them as soon as possible, and use beautiful flosses and linens. However, this isn't always possible.
The business decisions made by a store to cater to their customers are their own, representing a risk in pursuit of profit. This is entirely respectable. As a customer, I am not responsible for these business decisions.
Personally, I find it morally wrong that Latin American stitchers have to pay three or four times the cost of stitching materials and wait for months to receive them. We are trying to support designers and artists by buying original patterns, (Ironically, I see comments from stitchers supporting HH, and at the same time, buying Chinese kits from companies that openly infringes on copyright)
I will support HH by purchasing your exclusive chart, but I also applaud the availability of other options for me as a stitcher and a client under specific circumstances.
Love, Yany
I guess I’m just at a point in my life that I don’t understand why everyone just can’t get along. So the ethical/moral issue is a small producer making an alternative available. Obviously said product is used and preferred by many stitchers. Why not reach out to that one-person company and see if they would like to be part of an exclusive in the future? The price point will be more doable for a lot of stitchers on a budget. It helps out a small business. Conversions for other silks and DMC can be provided. Make room at the table for inclusion instead of exclusion.
Maybe the problem is when samplers are exclusive to a certain shop. That causes that shop to spend a lot of money for floss and linen. If they did not expect all those orders then they wouldnt overextend themselves. I dont think customers are morally required to buy supplies from the same shop as the chart. It is free enterprise after all. The pressure on customers to buy silk and linen is great. It is expensive. This is just a hobby after all. Personally I use dmc and aida. I could never afford the expensive silk and linen that is suggested for many charts. After all, when we die most of our samplers will be at charity shops. I get as much enjoyment stitching with dmc as more expensive fibers.
Sometimes I buy the whole package and sometimes I just buy the chart and stitch from my stash. That’s a personal choice on my part. I have bought lots of linen from shops just to have on hand in case I want to start new projects. I don’t see these decisions as a matter of loyalty or honor. Needlework is my hobby and businesses are run for profit. I am happy to support many of them.
Thank you Lynn for sharing your thoughts - N x
I think it's up to the person purchasing. If they purchase a booklet only which is currently an option for this exclusive, Hobby House is not impacted when the buyer pulls linen and thread from their stash or when they go to another linen and/or thread dyer to purchase items which they prefer. If said linen/thread dyers offer a cut of linen or thread pack specifically for this sampler they're doing what makes good business sense for them and their business.
Thank you Sarah for sharing your views. It’s always good to listen to others - N x
Dear Nicola, those fabrics are gorgeous! I especially love the continuous prints of a given design. I'd like to question your assumption that a shop that advertises alternatives to thread and fabric for a limited edition/exclusive design is doing so "off the back of" the shop that is hosting the limited edition/exclusive design. I shall never be able to afford the silk threads or overdyed linen for *any* project. So, I'm never going to be a customer of those stitching items for the limited edition/exclusive shop. I'll need to find less expensive alternatives and, even then, may not be able to purchase everything at once. A store that advertises that it can help me by providing the full range of more affordable alternatives is catering to my needs in a way that the limited edition/exclusive shop cannot, and their advertising of that ability is a time and energy saver to me (very helpful as I have severely limited physical mobility and cannot get out to shop around). My purchases at the "alternative" shop in no way takes revenue away from the "hosting" shop. I was never going to be their customer in the first place; they two are serving different consumer markets. I imagine that many (most?) of your followers are of a different socioeconomic class than am I, but there are those of us with more limited means who love your designs. We'll never be able to attend one of your classes or workshops, we'll never be able to purchase one of your extraordinary red boxes, we'll never know the delight of stitching an entire project with Au Ver à Soie, but these alternative shops allow us to occasionally purchase and stitch a HATS design that reaches out and touches us. While I applaud the shops who invest, heavily, in assuring that the silks and overdyed linens are available for your more typical clientele (and hope that they eventually realize a healthy return on their investment), I am also grateful to those shops who advertise alternatives that make it possible for me to actually stitch a gorgeous HATS sampler as a birthday or holiday gift for an appreciative family member. I would not want to disparage those alternative shops that are filling a need in the marketplace. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts from a somewhat different perspective. ❤
Hello - thank you for your kind words and for sharing your thoughts - N x
❤❤❤❤❤@@nicolaparkman
This is so well said! ❤
Thank you, Sharri! 😘@@sharrikremer9987
I love what another commenter pointed out that “exclusives” by definition and process EXCLUDE some needleworkers. I’ve never been a fan of exclusives and more so now. It really seems like a poor business decision to invest so much money when most of us have fabric and fiber stashes we would like to use up. And the silk dyer business owner did NOTHING wrong by responding to a stitcher’s request for a conversion. Disappointed in this inappropriate public shaming!
I agree with you!!
Public Shaming.... all I heard is questions being asked and information and opinions being requested. That is not a public shaming.
@@muebuch85234”a business who has not invested a dime in making something available actively markets an alternative product off the back of another business’s investment”
I couldn’t agree more. Such an embarrassing display of greed and ego.
I do like to support the shops who are offering exclusives, but I also like to option to purchase the parts separately. I don't always like the fabric and/or floss choices, so it's nice to have the option to purchase just a chart, or just a chart and fabric, or just a chart and floss. I understand this can be a hassle for the shops, so sometimes I'll buy a full kit, but make changes later. As long as the designer and shop are getting the sale, I don't think it matters if we decide to get additional supplies or replacement supplies somewhere else. Lots of our favorite shops have been doing fabric and floss conversions for years for designs. Stitch what you love!
I cannot afford to buy threads and linen from Hobbyhouse. I am located in the U.K. and their postage rates are very, very high. I buy my chart and it is posted to me in the U.K. from the U.K. and I source my materials in the U.K. I buy my linen from Canada, Europe and the U.K. The importation costs when kits come into the U.K. are also prohibitive for me. I have paid up to £40 import fees on a kit in the past. It was a very expensive lesson .
It is the same for me. I just bought the chart on which I will be paying an additional eur 12 to eur15 in local charges and VAT. Had I purchased the full kit (which I wished) it would have cost me $335 from $185 as seen on website. The extra cost is the shipping and taxes.😢
You ask an interesting question regarding exclusives. Personally I don't have the budget to buy silks or full kits. I had intended to buy your recent release from Hobby House, however it is more expensive than the samplers on your website and higher postage. I don't have the means to purchase at the moment but I would at a later date. As this is a limited edition it will not be available for me to purchase it when I am able to. It is especially difficult when goods have to come from the USA as silks, linens etc incur extra import fees. I understand that by offering an exclusive release it can make customers impulse buy when they may usually make more considered purchases, that after all is the psychology of retail. The unfortunate outcome of exclusives and retreats etc is that it can create a two tier system, for those that have more funds for their hobby than others. I think you will find that those who have the funds will order everything from Hobby House and those that don't will shop around. I don't think Hobby House would invest if they felt it was a risk and their business model seems to be going from strength to strength. This recent sampler is beautiful and I am sure it will be a huge success for all concerned.
I agree. Silks and full kits are a bit expensive for me. But I still enjoy stitching my charts on aida with DMC. I'm grateful for the Floss Tube channels. They encourage me to keep stitching. 😊
Interesting comments on exclusives. My perspective is a little different. I understand the up front investment. I just hate a pattern disappearing forever. I stitch a lot of ‘old’ classics and simply work with a shop to get materials converted. Why not delay 2 years and make available as PDF?
First, I love your samplers, and have a lot of respect for HATS. I just want to express my thoughts.
If I understood you correctly, Nicola, the exclusives are done to organise better the supplies for the potential “highly desirable chart” and to support one of the shops the designer likes to work with?
Than what about many many other cross stitch patterns out there being released highly desirable as well but available from any shop as a kit or as a chart, and where you can go to the another shop for your supplies if there are none in the first or second ones? It has been like that for years and worked fine. It gives needleworkers more choice, instead of pushing them to “buy quicker” just because it is an exclusive.
About the offers of other floss providers for the exclusives, yes, it does feel wrong although it happens a lot as the demand exists, and it exists because of what I wrote before.
Like my friend mentioned, if someone is trying to limit my options I won’t buy from them. Simple as that.
I have watched the video and read some of the comments with views coming from both sides of the argument/discussion. I fully understand the exclusive and the concept of it. However, it really saddens me that we arrived at a point when if I cannot afford to go to a prestigious retreat (as it is a flight ticket to the US all the time), I can only hope for the pattern offered there to become available at some point. Do not get me wrong, I am happy to wait a set amount of time for it to be release to the wider public (we all have more stitching ready to go then we know what to do with), but I dislike the FOMO it creates for the rest of us and the greed that it seems to bring with it. The same goes for shops who do thread conversions and only sell the full set of threads instead of the conversion list and unless you are based in the US it is prohibitive to purchase these. In this way, what is different from what shops offering their own conversions are doing to what has happened here? Needlework is a hobby that should bring us all joy and not arguments. One where we can put our own creative mark on what we stitch and not feel compelled to only shop from one destination for the materials that we need to complete the project. To have the option to just buy the pattern should not make us feel guilty, but happy that we all can access these beautiful samplers one way or another.
This feels very disingenuous. Your question is stated in such a way that he response almost always will say of course that’s right. You say on one hand that stitchers can use their own stash for stitching, fabric, threads….it’s all good. If I as a stitcher I want to use different threads, that’s up to me. If I want to go to a different thread dyer and I will then ask if they have threads for it, I will do that. Maybe I like their threads better than AVAS. Tiny little thread dyer posting a conversion that a stitcher requested in a tiny little fB group. I can’t afford some of these exclusives and if I decide that I will buy the chart and get a conversion elsewhere, I will. Either that or I don’t buy a HATS design, your choice. Your question and the way it came across gives me bad vibes. I will step away from buying your designs (my tiny purchases will not make a difference I know).
Hello Sharon. Thank you for expressing your view. I am sorry that the question I asked has upset you. A needleworker should always be able to use the products they prefer to work with. I did stress that.
To add to that, i do not believe it is our responsibilty to necessarily support the decision that a shop makes. After all, it is business. For instance, I would never buy a complete kit since I can readily buy DMC, my thread of choice.
Several Flosstube people like to change the colors, fabrics, and threads for designs. Sometimes, they stitch it right after a design (including exclusives) is released. They announce it to thousands of followers in some cases. People request conversions so often that Flosstube people immediately reveal their conversion cards. They know that they will be flooded with emails and other social media messages asking for them if they don't.
Other cross-stitch companies with exclusives regularly change the colors, fabrics, and threads on the designs they sell to the general public on their Flosstube channels. Kimberly Jolly always tells people that they don't have to buy supplies from Fat Quarter Shop for exclusives, but they can stitch their stash or buy less expensive floss, fabric, etc. She encourages everyone to stay within their budget.
Not everyone is going to choose a conversion. Many will do the called for colors, fabrics, and threads. I liked the suggestion I read somewhere below that you could wait until the exclusive was sold out before releasing the design in print or as a PDF. I do appreciate you and all the knowledge and samplers you have shared with stitchers.
I'm always late responding to videos because I don't watch hardly any but yours and I don't have much time to watch so I'm just commenting. First I would say your talk about how exclusives work was very important as well as informative. I didn't realize there was such a commitment of funds from the shop owners to offer an exclusive. I agree that it would be wonderful for people to support the shop 100% in their commitment to support us with products for an exclusive. Unfortunately - people are always going to do what's best (or mostly) do what's best for them in regards to spending their money. the work you do is amazing and I hope everyone is aware of the fact that you put heart and soul into everything you do. Thanks !
I understand your explanation of the business side of exclusives. However, I always avoid exclusives no matter how beautiful the sampler is. The word exclusive is from the word exclude, which I believe is a concept that should be avoided in the stitching world. I have noticed that Marsha at the Scarlet Letter never has exclusives (that I know of) and her business seems to have hummed along for decades. I think perhaps some of her charts are discontinued if interest wanes because of the cost of producing another run of the minimum required.
I believe part of this uproar is based upon the fact that the HATS business model is centered on offering not just the reproduction sampler, but an entire product line, including "exclusives." In that effort, your company has been extremely successful and you are to be commended. Other reproduction sampler companies stick only to charting and selling samplers. A few sell kits, but more and more these days, the focus of their business is just the sale of charts, while HATS has moved further and further into product and brand extensions such as dish towels, tote bags, aprons and now fabric. Again, brilliant entrepreneurship on your part. Moreover, you are a noted influencer, and in the needlework world, that is a rare, and some would say, much needed resource. People like you bring new stitchers into the hobby, and keep the needle in hands of established stitchers. All that said, when a very small (and I mean small), family-owned company that threatens no one financially responds to a customer's request for a thread conversion, it really isn't in your best interest to fly off the handle like this. NB: I couldn't watch the entire video, I was too embarrassed for you. Furthermore, I don't understand why you felt it was so critical to frame your "question to understand your viewpoint" around the morality of the issue. The tables could so easily be turned. Is it moral for your company and the needlework industry to make huge profits off the samplers of these long dead girls and women, many who lived in poverty? I get that as an Influencer the context of your posts matter greatly, but have you ever thought of the irony of stitching things like Bristol Orphan Samplers while sitting in a First Class airline seat, sipping champagne, using scissors that cost $100+ on your way to teach a needlework class where many of the students have serious concerns about the price of gas, eggs and milk? I'm not questioning your choice of comforts and lifestyle, just noting the irony. That said, questioning someone's morality in the open marketplace is a tricky place to go. The slope is steep and the path is slippery. I hope the treads on your walking boots are sturdy.
I am very disppointed that the stitching community is beginning to sound like high school with the requisite mean girls and cliques. Goodness. I have stitched for 40 years, and it seems that all this nonsense is escalating.
PS The Scarlet Letter has always sold kits on almost all her samplers for as long as I can recall. She stays in her lane.
Wow….very well stated!!!
Wow. I am astounded. Apparently we are not to enjoy the fruits of our labors... Nicola has worked hard but to point fingers at her for having a glass of champagne and for her choice of travel (or scissors), could that also not be questioning her 'morality'? Are you also criticizing every designer then who makes 'profit off the backs' of girls born a century or two ago? Perhaps we should do away with reproduction sampler stitching all across the board -- after all, no one should be making money from it -- because some people are poor? Nicola asked a simple question on the video and this has gotten way way too ugly and I am so sorry to see this. And I should ignore some of these comments but I do not like injustice of any kind whether verbal or in business.
Hello - Thank you for responding to express your views. I realise that I am very fortunate in many ways. One of those ways is the number of air miles my husband accrued over decades of business travel and which he uses to book my plane tickets. It’s nice being able to teach at a workshop where there is no charge to the store and thus to the attendees for my travel as air miles have been used. Incidentally I have never charged a US store a teaching fee, nor retail cost of the booklets for the workshop so that attendees do not have to bear the cost.
Only the chart is exclusive. If another business trys to sell the chart, that is wrong. There is nothing wrong with another business selling floss for the exclusive chart. I never stitch the called for silk, I always convert to my favorite cotton or silk floss dyers and they will do the conversion for me and offer the conversion packs for sale. Many charts of the exclusive will be sold after conversions are made public because many do not like the called for floss and will not purchase the chart until an alternative conversion of colors, brand of floss is made available that they want to use.
I do so love your videos. You are simply a charming lady. Did you stitch all of those samplers you have on display? Love them all. ❤ I love the pannels you showed. It is a delightful to see all the samplers you highlight for us. Thank you for the videos. Please keep making them. I will keep coming back.
Thank you so much, Nicola for filling us in on some of the ins and outs of the needlework industry - interesting and sobering. No, another business should not try to 'steal' (my word) sales from a business that has heavily invested in specific products for a specific needlework. You asked! So glad all the red boxes are on their way and your living space is available to you and your husband and 'the boys' again. Thanks for all your content and enthusiasm.
Speaking as a needleworker first and last, I would ask the question differently: if shops and linen dyers are struggling to keep up with demand, is it in the needleworkers’ interest to expect businesses to NOT offer or market alternatives? If we follow this logic about exclusives through, then none of the smaller businesses dyeing linen and floss today should exist because they have not a penny or dime invested in bringing a chart or the called-for supplies to the market: the designer designed the charts, and the shops invested in stocking the charts and called-for supplies, so we all need to buy only from the shops? My personal view as a stitcher is that more choices for the needleworker is a good thing and can only benefit the industry in the long run.
Yes, I like to spread my purchases around to support a number of shops
Choice is always good and I emphasised that in the video. Others’ views are always interesting and should be considered. Do you think it is ethical/morally correct for a business to chase the sales of another business that has offered a product they have developed the MOMENT they make the product available?
@@nicolaparkman If there were not exclusives, we would not have to worry about this!!
@@sallymariewebb3228 you are spot on. Exclusives breed greed….
The business offered the product upon customer request; all of the conversions are offered when customers request them and are posted only on their business page and on the group devoted to that business's products. This does not deserve to be called "touting" and "chasing sales". Asking loaded questions about another business is not a way to support more choices for needleworkers: rather it seeks to limit them to only what is prescribed in the exclusives. As a needleworker, I am huge supporter of HATS and have nothing but admiration for the way it has elevated the standards of quality in the needlework industry: which is why I am very disappointed with the negative remarks in the video.
I love all the beautiful fabrics on offer.
Thank you so much for the education on the industry. Even though I worked in a cross stitch shop in the late 80’s I had no idea. I always buy the full kit for an exclusive from the shop presenting it. ❤🤗
Dear Nicola, I appreciate your explanation of exclusives - I didn’t know what goes into a shop offering an exclusive. I do like the choice of ordering just the chart or the entire kit. Sometimes I want just the chart because I collect them and also I know I won’t get to stitching it for a while. Also I prefer to stitch on linen that is dyed evenly, not the mottled or aged look. I know the kits can’t have every option but I haven’t purchased a kit if the only option is the aged look linen. I understand the investment for the shop would be even greater if they were to offer two linen choices on top of all the thread counts. Managing that would be a lot! So I have just bought the chart and worked from my linen stash. Thank you for all you do to make stitching interesting and fun! PS My WOW box arrived on Friday and it is WOW!! (I couldn’t wait 2 weeks until my birthday to open it .) xx Karen
Hello - I am so pleased that your box arrived. I could not have waited either. Now you can enjoy everything within - N x
Hello Nicola,
I generally buy the kit when purchasing exclusives but won’t if the only option is the aged linen. I really disliked the very mottled fabric that came with one exclusive that I need to sell. I did try a less mottled fabric on a small design and did not like it. I understand why shops may not be able to offer other more classic fabric options, but I appreciate when they do like Cathe did for her exclusive. Janice will allow you to purchase the floss, chart and fabric separately so I have purchased the floss and chart. A shop may need to determine what the choice of fabric works best with the exclusive and the target customers.
I have learned to enjoy the Assisi stitch to create designs in the void. I would like to improve my Herringbone stitch so that the stitch becomes more natural for me to stitch. P.S. Love the new small red samplers you released this week.
Hi Nicola, your question is an interesting but complicated one. On the one hand the industry keeps saying “support your local shop”.. but if they don’t have the exclusive, some of us think we are being loyal to our LNS as we can by buying the chart through the exclusive shop and then getting the supplies from our LNS. On the flip side, if the shop w the exclusive doesn’t have the materials to fully kit the chart at the time of purchase, making it easy for me, that is when I get the chart and possibly go elsewhere… this is if I am going to start it soon. If it’s going to sit in my stash, if they can’t kit the whole thing, then I may just order the chart and buy the rest later. Many of us have strong relationships with our LNS and to go to another shop feels disloyal (to them). That being said, I do think business is business and if a shop feels they need people to buy everything from them to make their efforts worth their while, then they should agree with you to only offer it as a kit. It is an interesting question though, it is always good to think about these kinds of thing from a different point of view.
I purchased a kitted option for this new sampler as I thought it so beautiful. I also purchased Florence Mary Dickinson's chart , but bought different linen and used threads I already had. I don't think it wrong to buy supplies elsewhere as we all have a lot of supplies we want to use. And I like to support my locsl LNS as I want her to keep the business going. But I would appreciate charts becoming available after a couple years so everyone has access. By then the original shop should have recovered their initial output and made money. The reason is, when you find something years after it was exclusive and you can no longer get it, I don't want to pay an inflated amount to someone who is reselling their chart.
I think it makes sense to offer charts as exclusive to one provider so stock is available and I think it’s fair to support the needlework shops that make those investments. I also noticed with Hobby House and a Present for a Friend, there were choices between fabric and DMC and Soie. Unfortunately for me a big barrier to supporting those shops is the USA shipping charges. My husband bought me the Charlotte Entwistle chart and silks, along with a winterbury needlework case for my anniversary and Valentine gift. I then realised the shipping was an additional £56 and then there was £72 tax before delivery, which I felt was high at over 50% of the original purchase price. I think he also paid £4 for the silks when I’m sure Fobbles sells them for £3.75, that increase was OK but when the tax goes on top it’s a lot. Having said all that! I’m sure when the birds and vase sampler, with the option of the front or reverse coloured silks goes on sale I will buy the full kit and just pay the shipping and tax. I love that sampler and confirmed on your Instagram post that I will stitch it with the colours on the reverse, so it’s as good as in the basket awaiting checkout. 😂 Thanks for sharing another great video.
Nicola, what a wonderful way to share the point about sponsoring shops. I had honestly never thought twice about this subject as I will often buy a pattern from one place and then when I'm ready to stitch it, search around for the supplies. I can now see what service we can do to the stores we purchase from to think of going back to them as our first resource when we are actually ready to kit up the project thereby supporting them, even if it is months later. I understand this isn't always practical, but so many stores have websites that it certainly is much easy to do that now. Thank you - much appreciated insight. And apologies to the store owners for my lack of imagination that didn't pick this up sooner.
IMHO I think it is wonderful to shop in several different shops. ALL shops should receive business!
Thank you for the needlework market explanation. Love understanding the inner workings of businesses! When I buy an exclusive release, I always buy my linen and floss from the store sponsoring the release. A small part of my reasoning is I don’t have the time to search other places. Another reason is I only want to pay shipping one time. The largest reason is that I want to support the store sponsoring the beautiful release. There is one release where I only bought the chart, but your explanation sealed my decision to return to the sponsoring shop when I’m ready to buy at least the floss.
Hope you show Traditional Stitches’ exclusive next time! Happy stitching! 🧵🪡
I echo this. I like to buy the full kit when released for the additional reason that I know I have all of the supplies when I’m ready to start a new project.
Thank you for your explanation of some of the industry factors. I really enjoy learning more about the business elements behind the needlework releases. To answer your question, no, it doesn’t seem fair or appropriate for another store to try to market alternative supplies.
I am anxiously awaiting my red box…she is scheduled to arrive tomorrow but I’m going to try to hold out for a day to motivate myself to complete some big seasonal household chores, to open it as my reward!
Thank you as always!
I think it's great if you offer just the pattern only because it gives the customer a chance to buy if that is all they can afford at that time.
Thank you for explaining how exclusive orders work. I have ordered complete exclusive kits and most of them are still sitting in a bag waiting to be started. I will never get to even start most of them.( age is getting the best of me🥴). I also have a large stash of fabric, so if I love a chart and it is available to order the chart only, that is what I do now. I really appreciate the designers and shops who work so hard to bring us such beautiful projects.🥰. Thank you and Hobby House Needleworks, especially.🥰
While I appreciate the outlay from the 'exclusive ' store I find it is very difficult for those not living in the country of that store. Please don't say ' they ship internationally ' , for those of us of limited income living in countries such as Australia, the postage costs are prohibitive. Fair enough having it limited for a period of time then releasing it through HATS, but to never allow it to be made available on pdf is to deliberately exclude those stitchers outside the USA. In the case of a release such as this one the shop is going to well and truly cover their original outlay, just as happens with retreats most stitchers cannot possibly attend. Retreat exclusives are later available on general release why should these be any different. I'm afraid needlework is becoming the domain of the well-off..
I received my red box last week. It is still in the box it shipped in since I'm trying to hold out until Christmas to open it. We shall see. 😊
I prefer to buy an exclusive kitted up from the store selling the exclusive. I had no idea the amount of an investment they put in for such an exclusive.
Looking forward to seeing you at Hobby House in a few weeks.
After learning the other side of the story, I’m shocked that HATS feels threatened and made such a huge deal of a very small business that is all of 1 human, who has absolutely no interest, manpower, infrastructure and financial backing support to provide an alternate for all the exclusive shoppers. The biz doesn’t actively advertise and as mentioned by another commenter only lists the packs at the request of some of their ardent fans who probably don’t want to invest in an alternate floss company that is marketed for the exclusive… so on that record, Nicola please don’t feel threatened by this tiny shop who just tries to satisfy their few loyal customers.
Nicola have huge respect for your work, and how you are shaping the industry. This rant on the video is not the best version of you and you definitely could do much better than that.. hope you find your comfort soon!
Hello Akshay - Firstly I did not rant, I never too that. Nor do I feel threatened. However, there are times when a person has to stand up and be counted. The question is do you think it is moral/ethical for a business, no matter its size (size does not change or excuse its actions) to actively sell their version of a product that another business has invested time and money making available? The one thing that strikes me most that this was not months down the line but within 24 - 48 hours of the product launching. The product was advertised to a group of nearly 1200 needleworkers? I am interested in your answer, I always like to consider others views which is why I raised the matter in my video.
I should also reiterate what I have already said in the video. Needleworkers should always have the right to use the products they wish and businesses when approached should assist in providing what its customers wants. The difference lies in actively marketing their version looking for sales. There is a distinct difference.
I definitely do not want to disagree with you but the business has a small group of followers on Facebook and, as far as I know, and I could be wrong, she posted to that group that she had a conversion, which simply involves matching the DMC colors on a floss list to her colors. Yes, that can be perceived as actively marketing but to me, it seems more like mentioning it to a group of friends. It just doesn't seem like the amount of time involved in this is worth it. Just my opinion and I certainly respect yours.@@nicolaparkman
Hi Judy - I respect your opinion also - N x
Hi Nicola - I know you encourage stitchers to stitch from stash and I know how cognizant you are with money. I deeply admire on how you work hard to keep things reasonably priced and affordable to everyone. The thread legend was sent to this small biz by a stitcher who happens to be a fan of both HATS and their silk. And it was a screengrab from your earlier FT. The list could have been delayed reaching them by a few weeks until one of the stitcher received the chart and then sent the list. The moral question can be asked regardless of the timing when the alternate pack was made available.
The 1,200members in the group are not there for HATS conversions. Like any group, a majority are passive members who hardly know they exist in the group. Let’s not feel threatened by that number.
As for the moral question, the chart is the only exclusive part of the kit. So I think the biz didn’t step out of bounds. And by stitchers not purchasing the entire kit, I’m sure you don’t consider them unethical or immoral.
In order to make it truly exclusive and prevent this happening in the future, the legend should be removed from the chart, the floss should not have the numbers printed on the spool or the sleeve and no mention of the fabric be mentioned. Everyone gets to buy it as a kit and only option is the count of fabric that will be offered with the kit. And by agreeing to purchase the kit, they are effectively signing a Non disclosure of some sort. Today it’s this store and for the next exclusive there might be another shop that you might consider in the wrong. It’s far easier to handle if these changes are made than going after scores of people..
When someone purchases a chart (whether it be through the designer or an exclusive to a store), it is theirs to do with what they want. They can use items from their stash, or purchase somewhere else. It seems to me that this “industry” is getting very greedy and petty. I know who you are referring to, and in no way has that person undermined you or HH. If you notice on that person’s website, there are silk conversions for many charts. Oddly enough, no other designer has raised a stink. If a store wants to obtain an exclusive, that’s their prerogative to do so, and knowing it’s an investment for them. Those are the risks in the business world. Again, my opinion is that certain people are being excessively greed driven.
I agree that we are not beholden to decisions that store owners make. I stitch on a budget, almost always use DMC, dye some of my own linens. I feel no obligation whatsoever. Most kits are out of my reach.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. It’s always interesting to listen to other people and their views should be considered. Do you think it is ethical/morally correct for a business to chase the sales of another business that has offered a product they have developed the MOMENT they make the product available?
hello Sally - I wholeheartedly believe that needleworkers should be free to choose how and what they use to stitch with. I did emphasis that in the video. N x
@@nicolaparkman Perhaps you meant to comment on someone else’s comment. I’m not Sally.
I wouldn't consider it a business chasing the sales of another business when it was a customer who asked for the conversion, not the shop owner. @@nicolaparkman
The new sampler you acquired is definitely a candidate for the Queen of the May. She is just gorgeous. I’m also looking forward to buying some of your beautiful sampler fabric, too. Thank you for sharing about the lead time for informing suppliers about popular new releases. I had no idea that they needed that much lead time. I knew immediately what supplier you were referring to in regards to the Hobby House exclusive. From the comments, I think some people misunderstood what you were asking. Obviously, if the shop is offering the exclusive offer a chart only option they know stitchers might seek supplies elsewhere which you indicated. I believe that is fine as some people have a large stash, want to support their LNS, or need to spread out the cost of the project. However, I think it is in very poor taste to market a thread bundle for another shop’s exclusive. FYI. I purchased silk thread from this dyer for two different projects many years ago. I felt the silk was not as good a quality as AVAS, but the big problem was that some of the colors were not even close to the shade of AVAS or DMC that the chart called for. I was very upset because I knew I had wasted my money. At the time, silks were a luxury for only very special charts. I ended up purchasing the called for AVAS but I did so gradually. After that experience, I have never bought from that thread dyer again. Maybe, the silks now are higher quality and the colors are better matched, but I’m won’t take that chance again. Thank you for all you do for the stitching community❤
I thought I misunderstood the question as well because so many folks are talking about purchasing linen and threads elsewhere. I understood the question to be of a store marketing their product to replace another store’s exclusive kit since the pattern is also being sold as a stand-alone. Folks marketing their product like this ruins it for everyone. This will cause stores to only offer kits to prevent this and will limit buyers who can’t afford kits from being able to use their own more affordable options. Hopefully stitchers will send the message by not purchasing from these marketing sharks who piggyback big names in order to make a prophet.
Hello Rachel - I am glad you saw what the end result could be, stores only selling kits not stand alone booklets. Needleworkers will then have a restricted choice. Its important that booklet only sales are supported. N x
Thank you for all of the information concerning exclusives! So much more goes into them, than had thought about. I feel the need to support the shop that is hosting the exclusives. I believe that shops are such a valuable resource and I want to do what I can to help them thrive. I cannot imagine not having my local needlework shop available, I doubt I would have taken up cross stitch. I am so grateful to have access to all that they offer!
Hello Nicola, thank you for sharing some insight into the needlework business, it was very illuminating. To answer your question, I don't think it is fair for another business to actively approach stitchers with an offer of essentially replicated products, unless they offer a conversion of their own, different colour scheme, etc. As these limited releases are in collaboration with the US stores, ordering kits to be shipped to the UK is not an option for me considering how much extra I would have to pay to receive them. Now I think I understand why you do not work with our own stores- they simply cannot afford to invest in such an enterprise. I look forward to getting my copy of Martha. She is such a special sampler.
Hello April - I am actively trying to promote reproduction samplers in the UK. Unfortunately there are very few stores in the UK who are interested in stocking reproduction samplers. However, before this year is out we will have a collaboration with a small store to help them, however, it is not the UK but another country, the first we have done it the store’s country.
Wonderful video as always!! I’m loving the fabrics, they are gorgeous. Thank you for speaking on the industry. I work for a brick and mortar needlework shop and truly understand the investment that would go in to offering an exclusive. While it’s perfectly legal for a silk dyer or fabric dyer to market their own conversion, on an exclusive, I think it’s a dirty practice. The exclusive and its materials should be exclusive to the shop hosting. If a silk or fabric dyed wants to be a part of an exclusive they should reach out to shops and work with them directly to create something. It’s nice that people have the ability to purchase a stand alone chart but that may be hurting the shop that’s hosting the exclusive. Maybe offer as a kit only for a period of time with payment plans for those who can’t afford that investment all at once. I know hobby house offers shop pay and that’s a wonderful option to pay over time.
So excited about my box! It arrived in the US on Friday and I'm hoping it will be delivered this week!
Very thought provoking. At this time in my life, I have more charts kitted up with linen and threads than I could stitch in more than a few lifetimes. If I were a shop owner investing that much cash in an upcoming chart, I would sell in kit form only. It seems like the popular exclusives sell out fairly quickly. For all the moaning when someone misses out on a chart, realistically, there are a plethora of charts and designers to choose from. First world problem.
I very much appreciate when a shop exclusive is offered as a chart only. I have a ton of fabric and a preferred thread I always use, and I enjoy picking my own fabric and colors. From the business model standpoint, when a chart is offered as a stand alone, the business must anticipate a certain percentage of buyers will buy the chart alone and adjust their estimates of sales of fibers and fabrics. I never buy exclusives that are all-inclusive. If I really want the chart, I wait a year for the designer to release to the general public, or if that does not happen, I wait for the chart to show up on the secondary market. So thank you to Hands Across the Seas for working with shops to produce exclusives and thank you to Hobby House Needleworks for giving us options!
I ❤ the idea of exclusives and have been supporting them by buying the entire kit. What’s happened lately with all the enablers around us and lack of self control and the consequences of suffering from the FOMO syndrome, I was extremely happy when HHN provided the ability to buy the chart. With holiday season coming up; inflation and job insecurity money is not free flowing anymore. I can now buy the linen and threads when I put my charity bowl to collect some extra dough from family and friends for my 60th birthday to feed my addiction 😊
On the similar lines of your reasoning on it being perfectly fine to stitch with items from stash, where the stitcher decides to buy other parts to make the finish should be totally up to the stitcher, as long as the stitcher is not hurting the exclusive seller by buying the whole kit and returning parts of the kit or canceling the kit after making an order.. there just can’t be one side to the sob story. If the exclusive sellers are holding their right to the bargain, they need to make sure they are shipping in the order they receive the orders in the order they receive.
Hello Dear Nicola ,thank you for making me feel better about Using what we like and what we have. I sometimes while watching floss tube feel very intimatdated. I only stitch on 14 count Aida and Use only DMC . When I see see everyone with there linen and there silks I feel bad that I'm not able at this time to get into all that. But I must say, That with my DMC and my 14ct. I produce Beautifull reproduction samplers ....and I'm a crafter and quilter and crocheter and I do all my own ffo's. So I love your charts. And I do invest in the charts, And they do come out just as lovely as the ones done on the linen and silks. Thank you for letting us know. That it is OK. To be ourselves. Linda from Rhode Island
Thank you for helping us understand more about how the needlework market works.
Nicola, I just love and adore you. Thank you so much for adding the aida graphs to your charts! I feel so extraordinarily blessed to know that you have such a consideration in place for all stitchers. I can't wait to see what else you have that will have aida stitching inserted. As for the Stitchfolk project bag - I bought that first thing on the morning of the red box release. I love it so! I will also email you to be put on the waiting list for the red box. I do want to ask : Will you be making more tea towels? I had recently seen Brenda's (Brenda and the Serial Starter) tea towel of Anne Thomas made into a project bag and it was to die for. I also realized after your mentioning about exclusives and the time and cost involved; production of silks, linen and chart books... that you inadvertently neglected to mention the paper involved in the printing of those charts. As yours are in booklet form, there is an additional cost that not many consider or think about. Not because people don't care, but they just don't think about all the necessaries. Believe it or not, there was an issue here in the states regarding print runs at print houses; before Covid started there was a shortage of paper across the printing industry ( my dad works in publication of educational supplemental materials for schools, etc). During Covid many of those print houses shut down during the Pandemic to prevent illness, so then you had backlog of print runs that were already in place before Covid, and now backed up even further because of it. It took a long while before everything came back "normal". There are some print houses permanently closed because they lost money due to Covid, so now there is an even more limited avenue to print books. It's a real issue, and I don't know what the situation is like in Britain regarding print houses,. My hope is that that area of commodity has not been seeing such a dire circumstance in your country. All my love and hugs to you, Jen
Hello Jennifer - when I return from the USA I will be releasing a new series of tea towels and they are my favourite so far. With regards to paper just before Covid struck it was an issue in the UK too. Prices rocketed as a result. N x
@@nicolaparkman You are a dynamo! I swear, you can give the Energizer bunny a run for the money. LOL I am looking forward to seeing what new tea towels will be available. Be safe traveling and looking forward to new goodies and a new video. Love, Jen
Thank you for sharing the behind the scenes workings of new releases. Quite the conundrum, as you said. I had no idea that the lead time for ancillary supplies could be as much as 18 months…
Horrors! While I fully respect any exclusive supplied by a shop, be it chart or kit, when the exclusive time limit has expired, I also believe in a free market to provide for alternate needs. For instance, if I fall in love with a chart but the the kit is only provided in cottons and I only stitch in silks, should I be excluded from obtaining silks? I think we are also seeing a clash of ‘cottage industry’ supply with ‘commercial’ needs. If an exclusive is given to a shop that can’t meet the need, what is the answer? Quite the conundrum! I hope to revert to the 80/20 rule…if 80% of the needs are met, that is success!
I did not realize the long pre-planning that would go in a popular release. I appreciate being able to just purchase a chart sometimes, especially if its a pattern I don't think I'll start for a while, but I also appreciate buying a thread kit or a full kit from a store that releases an exclusive. I don't think it's quite right for another business to basically take business away from a shop that's invested in an exclusive. Your new sampler is a stunner - I love that little house on it, but the whole sampler is beautiful. My WOW box arrived, and is squirreled away for Christmas morning - I think that red box will look great under the tree!
Thank you Leslie for sharing your thoughts. N x
Wonderful video and beautiful charts. Absolutely love the fabric. I received my project bag and red box which I immediately gave it to my husband to wrap up for Christmas. I was so tempted to open it but it will be extra special to open during the holidays. So interesting about the exclusives and as a consumer I like the option given to me to purchase a kit, it’s convenient and also gives me the opportunity to get everything at one shop. I tend to stick to the called for linen and threads so by having a shop that has all that for me is a blessing for I don’t have to go try and find everything I need at several shops. Personally I think when it’s limited it should stay limited for the shop. If it was to be released in the future, then conversions could be made. But also some May see this as business means business so they can make opportunities for consumers in order to profit from it. It’s complicated but also I think the shop who is offering the limited kit should be the one who profits for they are putting a lot of effort and time into an exclusive. Sorry to ramble but it definitely is a great conversation to have. What does a shop owner have to say about offering exclusive kits?
I appreciate Hobby House and the job they do. I just bought only the booklet this time because I wanted to dream about it a while before decide on linen and fabric. I personally am very mindful of all the work involved with providing and I am very grateful. When I attend a class at HH I bring my list and pick out the exact fabric cut I like and then pull the threads. That being said though it is so fun to order the full kit. My thoughts aren’t adding much to this discussion. I do buy a lot of exclusives. I thank David and Cathy for giving us so many choices and I will remain a faithful costumer❤
Thank you for sharing the inside workings of this very unique business. It’s very interesting to me as I’ve often wondered how it all worked. I had no idea that the lead times were so long. It must be very difficult for you to predict that far ahead how the sales of a sampler will probably go. As to your question, I think that it is not ethical for other shops and sources to advertise the alternatives to the called for supplies, UNLESS - the exclusive shop has not ordered enough to go around and there is virtually none of the called for linen or thread available to be found. My sister and I, who have been stitching our whole lives but are relatively new to the reproduction craze that is currently happening in the industry, have often found that even if the chart is only a year or two old there are none of the called for supplies to be had. This is particularly true with the linen suppliers as they seem to run off several hundred yards when the chart is released and then never make it again. But I do think that trying to offer alternatives from the beginning of an exclusive release when the supplies are plentiful is like trying to steal the design and make it somehow better with newer different linens and threads. Of course this is JMHO. Thank you for all you do for our beautiful hobby and the industry!
Welcome to capitalism. You profit from it and anyone else can profit from it as well.
Thank you Abi. Should someone profit from my intellectual property that is not only copyrighted but trademarked? When a licence has only be granted to one business to use my intellectual property for commercial gains should a non-licensee use my intellectual copyright and trademark?
@@nicolaparkman the issue with the floss alternatives has nothing to do with copyright and trademark.
Nicola, I had no idea what went into an exclusive! Would it be feasible for a shop to offer only the kits at first? We all have seen retreat charts that we have to wait a year to purchase.
I think if someone buys just the chart and reaches out to a thread dyer, asking for a conversion that is one thing. But I personally don’t think it should be advertised on social media as a conversion immediately upon release of the exclusive. Thank you for the thought provoking question. ❤Susan
Hello Nicola! I received the WOW Box last thursday and I put in a wardrobe! I was very happy because the box is here in Italy, from your house to my house! It's so funny! And the custom taxes were like 16 euros. I was expecting more... It's to be opened on Dec 25th and I wil avoid any spoiler on flosstube. Your new old sampler Ann Watson is a bobbydazzler (as you say). I can't wait to stitch it because it's not symmetrical. Those are the samplers that I prefer. I really thank you for your amazing work that gives joy to so many people. I hope you can now relax a bit and enjoy autumn. Happy Stitching!
I don’t feel a business that has not invested any money into an exclusive, should pirate linen and/or floss equivalents of their choice. I feel that like exclusive charts, linen and floss for that chart should be proprietary for a year. After that, they can promote their own linen and floss kits for the year old chart. But hey, that’s my own opinion🤗
Good Morning Nicola! You are surrounded by so many beautiful Samplers today! I really love your Shop Exclusives and the fact that we can buy everything we need at the sponsoring Shop. Not only do I want to support the sponsoring shop, I do not want to hunt around for the fabric and threads. Thank you for putting your heart into providing us years of enjoyment thru our stitching! 💝
The exclusive refers to the pattern only. While the purpose is to help Local Needlework Shops with business, not everyone likes the silk threads offered. I personally do not like AVAS threads and will always use the DMC or another cotton conversion. For the silk dyer in question to make a conversion, someone who owns the chart had to send her the floss list. That means someone who wanted the exclusive chart did not want the silk floss provided by the shop. To claim it is an issue of morality to use a different floss than charted is ridiculous. The bigger issue is the fact that companies like yours are making this hobby a 1% hobby. There is nothing wrong with DMC. For the people in the back, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH DMC. Cross stitch is a hobby that should be accessible to anyone who wants to participate without feeling like they are less because the either cannot afford silk or (like me) do not use silk due to the inhumane way of harvesting silk.
Love my DMC!
Hello Mary Ellen - my designs always include a conversion for DMC and I actively support the use of DMC - N x
Please elaborate on the inhumane harvesting of silk ? Do you have a source for your information?
I usually buy all the parts from the hosting shop of an exclusive. Sometimes it is hard to piecemeal it together. Sometimes I will use fabric from my stash if I don't particularly like the one they are offering. I do have a huge stash of fabrics and floss/silks. I LOVE Martha and can hardly wait to get it in my hands. I did order the full kit. Thank you for your wonderful and informative flosstubes. I so enjoy them.
Hi Nicola! So sorry I won’t make it to Hobby House but maybe The Attic in January? Ann Watson is superb and I cannot wait to see her available. I can only imagine the colors from the back of the sampler!! With regard to the conversions, I’ve seen the matter come up in some other groups and I do see the concerns. I will say that once I purchase I feel it is my purview to do as I wish with whatever materials I should choose. There are many that offer and share conversions to different fabrics and fibers. The Attic is WELL known for their conversions of many designers. I also appreciate the time and investment by a host shop. Perhaps there should be a “kit only” options for a period of time, after which the chart only option would be available? If it’s something I truly want I would purchase the kit and then if I wanted another conversion I feel that’s my choice as well (I have done this relative to another group/release. So I CHOSE to pay double for my fibers). HATS has been a leader and innovator in the industry. Your work has helped raise the bar for all participants in the industry and bringing so many options to us as needleworkers. I feel the fact that in a way other vendors have been able to grow as well is a huge compliment. We have so many more products for rings, bags, etc. I know there are no easy solutions here but I do fall on the side of user choice.
Hello Judy I hope we will get to each other in January too. The needleworker’s freedom of choice will always be the most important thing. N xxx
If there's a sell-out at the Hobby House event, then offer for sale zoom tickets for people to join in that manner. That's a marketing technique we use in the US in sports. For example, if a sports game is sold out, pay-for-view is offered for those who cannot attend the event at a stadium. Part of the zoom attendees' payment could also go to charity to support outreach for cross-stitch programs in schools and other children's organizations. I offered a small free class and had seven students, all happy to explore their new-found interest in needle arts. I would pay a certain fee for a retreat viewing and be happy that some of my fee was set aside for children, which is nice since so many of the patterns you rescue are done by children.
Hello Katherine - I would be happy for a workshop I present to be available on Zoom as well, however, it is the store or organisation that would offer and facilitate that not me. It would be worth you suggesting the idea directly with the event organisers. N x
That is a wonderful idea. Some people cannot attend retreats and classes due to work schedules, having small children, etc. Online videos and/or Zoom conferences on various topics would be very popular and another income stream for HATS.
Hello Nicola, and thank you for today's video. I always anticipate seeing them every Sunday. I've had to think about the question you posed today about exclusives, kitted or not. I admit I just feel a little naive about the issue. I'm not aware of any competition regarding exclusives. I always buy the whole kit from the sponsoring shop. I see that as doing so to keep (and encourage) those exclusives coming! The individual shops who offer them should get their spotlight time and support for the work they've done also. You always give 3 thread choices, and believe me when I say I will be stitching as charted. Ditto for fabric. I'm not a designer, just a needleworker. 😊 Hope this made sense.
Needlework stores have built reputations on selling their own conversions of various charts for years. They are widely known and lauded for this provision. If an exclusive offering needs to block the ability of the stitcher to use other options for materials, then sell only the kits. Problem solved. If exclusives aren’t financially lucrative, why do shops keep offering them? Maybe the outlay of such large deposits isn’t the best business plan? Trying to control the free market of stitching choices isn’t a good strategy. It is the shop/business that chooses to take the financial risk, but should the stitcher be morally responsible for their decision? Now exclusives are no longer appealing to me. There are plenty of beautiful charts and supplies available without the FOMO of exclusives and limited editions.
Ann Watson took my breath away. Can’t wait for its release. Martha a must have with its amazing border and that pretty bird. My house is rose themed. I almost always order a kit if I can or if I get the chart straight from you I order the threads same time. Hate not being able to find later. I think I’ve gotten all the exclusives. I’m heartbroken if I miss out lol HATS is my current obsession. IMO if it’s an exclusive the shop should be the sole provider. They need to reap their investment. Thanks for visiting
Another beautiful flosstube! And good background on exclusives. Given the investment by a needlework shop to host an exclusive, I think they should retain it for a period of time. And, as you noted, the ability to purchase the chart only from that needlework shop is a good practice for those that, perhaps, do not have the means to kit up with certain threads or linens. I do think once the investment costs are reaped and “interest” accrued over a set period of time, making the chart available elsewhere, might be worth considering. Thank you again and look forward to meeting you in November!
I must say, I’m distressed by some of the comments/feelings in this post - they feel like personal attacks. Big hugs to you Nicola - I so appreciate all that you have done and continue to do for we stitching addicts!❤️
I love the gorgeous 'new' sampler that you showed and will look forward to its future release! Your fabrics are so beautiful, Nicola and such a fabulous idea. Thanks so much for sharing what goes into a shop being able to offer an exclusive. I know there have been times where I have just bought the chart (because I don't want to regret not purchasing it) and either: a) I don't have plans to stitch it soon so I don't want to put out the money for the kit, b) I can't afford it at the time, or c) the cost of shipping is too high. I appreciate having the choice to just buy the chart. You have posed a very interesting question. My first reaction is no, the exclusive should remain just that for at least a year so that the shop offering it has the opportunity to benefit from the investment they have made into securing the supplies for the exclusive.
Thanks as always, Nicola and happy stitching.
I have to say, I had no idea that an exclusive cost the releasing shop that kind of investment. But in my opinion, whether the releasing shop invested monies or not, the situation you speak of is a form of pirating, totally unacceptable!
Wow - thanks for walking us through what it's like behind the scenes! Your question really made me think. I can absolutely see why it's important to support the business that sponsors the release, especially after hearing that they can sometimes invest hundreds of thousands of dollars years in advance.
Thinking of myself - I can never afford to buy an entire kit at once. And oftentimes the limited releases can sell out before I can purchase everything called for. I know that I'm thankful when I can easily find the supplies necessary at shops that are off the beaten path and that don't sell out so quickly. I would always want to support the businesses that made the pattern possible and do so as often as possible. But having options is also very important to my budget and my own (very slow) timeline. I hope this sort of answers your question ❤
Hello Katie - thank you for taking the time to respond. The needleworker’s freedom to choose how and with what they stitch their sampler is paramount. I can remember when I used to save to kit up. It costs a lot particularly on bigger projects. I am glad that HHN offered the chart only option. On a separate note it is a shame when you see another business chase the business of a store the MOMENT they release a product that they have invested in. Choice is good for the needlework market but there is a way of conducting business. N x
@@nicolaparkman totally agree! I think I was thinking about finding kits 6 months or a year (or even more) after the release! Not kits from other businesses as soon as the pattern is released. Sorry! I think I misunderstood your original question!
I am always amazed at the beautiful charts that have been designed by so many different little girls and women. We need a full time job to purchase all we love. I fully understand the exclusivity of different designs and understand the concept. It is though they are investing into your company just for their exclusive sale of an item. What a wonderful supportive hobby we share.
I received my red box! Very excited to open it!
Lovely to have a long video from you and thank you for your explanation of the situation. Speaking as a retiree on a fixed income it is impossible to buy any of your exclusives from the US as postage is usually double the cost of the purchase. I know I appreciate your low postage rate as a booklet is so much nicer than a pdf, even if we don’t get instant gratification. Perhaps we can see exclusives being available in Australian and dare I say New Zealand at some future dates. In the meanwhile we save and eventually buy. We are getting a greater range stitchy bits thanks to the investment our businesses, it is a huge risk for all and I know I appreciate them.
Thank you for your hard work which even if we can’t purchase, we all benefit in the long run. Keep safe and well as the seasons turn and you wind down a little from your marathon efforts of late.
Hello - you might get your wish sooner than you expected. N xxx
As all the comments reveal, ethical positions are personal and fluid, depending on life experiences and situation and it’s a challenge to draw conclusions without the whole context. I would love the needlework industry to be a bit more ‘lagom’ and think about environmental impact and sustainable packaging a bit more, but that’s just my ethical position and apropos of nothing!
Nicola, as usual, a very interesting floss tube! I am strongly tempted to try to get in to the May retreat ... my friend Leslie, with whom I attended TGBSW, is going, and that Scottish sampler is really beautiful! On the other topic, thank you for the insight into how the needle work market works, what shops must do to be prepared for their normal business as well as extremely popular releases. I would not be comfortable with a business doing a direct competitive action while an exclusive were being offered, but after the fact if a shop wanted to say "we have thread packs for a certain sampler that was offered exclusively a couple of years ago" that would be fine, I would think. I agree also that stitchers will always want to use materials from their own stashes both to manage their expenses as well as to exercise their own creativity ("I wonder how this would look on this color linen? I prefer yellow roses to pink ones, I wonder if this selection of threads would work for this border?" and similar thinking). And for someone like me, who has no local needlework shop closer than a four hour drive, I often must use materials from my stash because there are not easy ways to get at a broader selection! (I bought quite a bit of linen at TGBSW in order to have good options for my stitching, in fact, because I knew I would be very happy being able to select specific pieces of linen while able to directly compare colors.) Thanks for the video and for your interesting comments. I loved TGBSW!!
Thank was very interesting about exclusive patterns
So what you are saying is that if I purchase a special edition sampler with my own money that I can't finish it as I WANT to! First of all, who are you to tell me what I can or cannot do! If you have to put a retainer up to a manufacturer months before then why are there always backorders? This makes no sense to me at all. So Nicola, you now think you are so big or larger than others that you make the rules. Shame on you!!! Edited to add: I forgot to add: What about The Attic and all it's conversions to silk? Is that appropriate since it doesn't affect your patterns?
Hello. Thank you for taking the time to express your view. I am sorry that you interpreted what I said in the video that I was telling what you can or cannot do. I did stress more than once that a needleworker must be free to stitch a sampler in the products they prefer. I have never seen The Attic advertise a conversion for a sampler that was an exclusive of another store.
I don’t think it’s right that a business would capitalize on someone else’s (a business offering an exclusive and investing that huge amount of money) in someone else’s hard work. How unfortunate. I have stitched your samplers both with Au Vera Sio and DMC or just threads from my stash, but knowing this information would make me more inclined to purchase an entire kit from the exclusive shop, and probubly choosing the silks now that I know those are booked dye lots. Very informative. If it was not for you I would not have fallen in love with Hobby house, or even knew who they were. I ordered the Silks for Rose Ada at the time of purchase, very glad I did they stay vibrant and shiny, very beautiful and I am almost finished with stitching her, it has only taken me…. Two years? ❤
Thank you for sharing your thoughts - N x
Yea I can see the quandary in all this. Maybe if this is the case the shop should sell only kits for 12 months then release chart only sales.
Speaking as a Quilt fabric shop owner is this really any different than you selling fabrics?
Hello - Thank you for responding. To answer your question I am expanding my business by selling fabric that I design. My designs are based solely on my own work and creativity. I think that is very different.
Hi Nicola, that was a very nice card from one of the attendees from your retreat. Congratulations on your very successful first retreat again. Have a great week. TTFN
After watching your video today, I have no words! Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you for your explanation of the supply process for very popular designs - I had no idea, but of course it all makes sense when you explain it. It is quite an investment for a shop to offer an exclusive. I have only bought two exclusives so far - and Martha is one of them. I only bought the chart, since I wanted to check my stash of DMC threads to see what I had - and I wanted to choose linen from my stash. (I’m really not fond of mottled linen and I am fortunate to have a local needlework shop that I support - and to my knowledge they have never promoted or advertised an alternate for an exclusive). So I think I would find it unfair for a competing shop to actively advertise an alternate kit for an exclusive. And think it’s good that Hobby House and other shops that offer exclusive offer the chart only - for those of us who want to use our stash - or maybe just collect the charts.
I ordered your lovely tote bags and was planning to share with my sisters, but I had to keep Martha Walmsley for myself - and I have to say, the quality is amazing!
Thank you for your weekly videos - I enjoy them so much!
Thank you Nicola for explaining why and how Exclusives works as I've been asking myself what's going on seeing that this started to be very usual. Living in Italy, an Exclusive to me means to have NO opportunity to stitch that project because shipping costs and customs taxes makes the final cost just crazy. Also I have a good stash and always prefer to make my own choices on what to use. I would say to all designers please make exclusives available to all us in a later time, one or two years (PDF's are just great !) as everyone has different needs and it's sad to just "look but don't touch" . I 'm crazy for Sarah Milthorpe , will she be available one day ? Thank you :)
Hello Frances - thank you for commenting. Sarah will release early next year. I cannot release her until January 2024 as she was part of a workshop in January 2023. If my work commitments allow I will make her available as soon as I possibly can. I am very conscious that a lot of needleworkers are eagerly awaiting her - N x
Thank you Nicola, this is a great new !...let me say that your designs and charts are so beautiful and really addictive 🥰
Another great video (yes I’m late in watching) very informative about how the exclusive/limited edition charts work, and a very thought provoking question….I purchase the chart only, conversion rates and postage to Australia is ridiculous and with the economy the way it is right now it’s the only way I can continue my love of stitching…we are very fortunate that you offer us the opportunity to purchase just the chart….as for another company ‘promoting’ a cheaper alternative for threads (and this is only my opinion) then no I do not think that is fair, I can understand with social media people will want to know where others have purchased them from and I have no problem with that, but the other company should only be selling their products to customers that request an alternative and not advertise it on their website or shop for at least 6 months after the exclusive has been released…..
Thank you for the explanation of the how and why of exclusives. It was an eye opener. I had no idea of the serious investment required of the store keepers. I’m a fairly new fan of your designs and have not purchased any exclusives but that may change soon. With the knowledge I now have I certainly would get all the materials from that shop.
Nicola, Thank you for taking the time to explain everything that goes into sponsoring an exclusive. Needleworkers and shops need to be partners, we need each other. There are also other third parties that offer complimentary products, we need them too as they provide alternatives and often times push our creativity. For exclusives, I believe people need to respect the process and cost investment you explained that goes into the process. If someone chooses to only buy the chart, they should respect the process by not sharing the materials like the thread list. I’m hoping people do what they do out of ignorance. After an adequate waiting period and the chart is now publicly available, I expect it’s okay to source the materials from other parties. Thank you again for the explanation and I appreciate you staying above the fry and maintaining civility.
Thanks so for enlightening us .wow!
Hi Nicola. Love your offerings. I have a love/hate relationships with exclusives. I go back to Ann Uffindell when I thought I wouldn’t be able to have the chart. Well fast forward and it’s available to all. I have the fear of FOMO with exclusives. I stitch on 32ct Lugana which is considered lower than Aida. It’s not offered in any kits. When the exclusives come out I have to buy linen that I’m not going to use. Hopefully I can resell them someday. I but the kit so that I can have the Minnie McBean frippery. Lots of time I would like just the chart and then go to my LNS for the rest. We are encouraged to support them. By the way my LNS has never advertised to undercut the shop having the exclusive which is your question. I wouldn’t support that. HobbyHouse has always been great about offering options. They have even allowed me to substitute Lugana for the linen. Wish Lugana was more acceptable in the stitching world. Just imagine saying DMC and Lugana in one breath!! Well I digress and my answer to your question is no, it’s not fair to a shop who has invested $ to have another shop undercut them!! Take care
I think it is awesome that one can purchase the kits for those that need the whole decision making made for them or to be exact to the chart. I have a tendency to stitch everything 1 over 1 on 28ct Evenweave, which means kits don't really work for me, so I love that I can buy the things I need separately so that I can still stitch the beautiful charts. I think your question has been a conundrum for many business throughout time... is it fair that a store brand (Kroger Ibuprofen) advertises the same product as the brand name (Advil)? I'm not sure how that will ever change.
❤so exciting with all of these lovely samplers, fabrics etc ❤ 😊
Hello, I need help. I couldn't understand which shop in europe do sell the the printed fabric. Can anybody tell me?
Hello - it is Soed Idee in The Netherlands
Thank you. 😍@@nicolaparkman
I am looking forward to meeting you at at Cincinnati guild workshop
Is the Alice Tippett sampler going to be released? I can’t find it anywhere.
Hello - Alice was a personal gift to a group of needleworkers earlier this year. I do intend to release her in the future - N x
As a needle worker, customer, and someone very familiar with both sides of business:
If the 2nd business is effectively trying to steal customers from the 1st via advertising alternatives to the materials called for in the exclusive, I would not shop with business 2. That behavior feels underhanded and dishonest.
If a customer goes out of their way to request substitutions from business 2, then of course the shop should provide their usual standard of customer service.
But to actively try and piggyback off of someone else’s investment and draw customers away from them? That would be cause for me to truly consider if I would shop there again.
Very interesting question, and I definitely have an opinion. First thank you for the detailed explanation about how exclusives work. I don't think the average stitcher has any idea about all it takes not only in time but money to offer an exclusive. Then when a store does, I cannot imagine another merchant hopping on the bandwagon trying to sell their own linen and floss instead of what the original store offers. That is just not right. That seems unethical somehow. The other merchant has nothing invested. However, they want to leach off the original store who has so very much invested in the success of the exclusive. I do appreciate that not everyone wants to buy the linen and silk from the exclusive store. That's not the point. The point is that the "other" merchant should not actively advertise their alternative products for an exclusive release that is offered by another merchant. That's called, "riding the coat tails." In this case, that is just wrong based on the huge upfront investment the original store had to pay. If someone disagrees with me and say's it is just good business, then I don't want to do business with those folks. My opinion. It is hard enough for cross stitch shops to stay in business. Thanks again for sharing Nicola. I learn so much from your channel!!! Hugs from NE Ohio.
Unless you have watched a video like this one, the average needleworker has no clue about this investment.
Thus, nobody can put the onus on them! They just do an online search and look for what they need or visit their local LNS. The money involved or the risks that the shopowners take makes little difference to the average stitcher. They are buried deep in their cross stitch and are not concerned about the business end of things!
Nicola, your business discussion at the end of today's video was very informative. Of course, I agree with the point your were making. The business that made a huge investment to bring a cross stitch project to market should be the business to profit from selling the project. Any business that deliberately acts to steal customers from the investing cross stitch shop should be shunned.
Thank you for explaining that part of the retail process. I had no idea. It actually makes me want to consider buying exclusives more, to support the shops who have invested.
I’m having trouble locating the pattern for Alice Tippett. Has she been released yet?
Hello Andrea - Little Alice hasn’t released yet but in the summer of next she will be. This year she was a personal gift to a group of needleworkers.
@@nicolaparkman thanks, I’ll look out for her. I love how colourful she is.